Heroes of the Past
by JohnnyStyle
Summary: Drakken's latest plans call for the collection of obsolete tech. Team Possible enlist the aid of Professor Penny Gadget when one device is revealed as an artifact of MAD, last encountered by Shego back when she was still with Team Go. How did that mistake lead Shego to a life of crime? Rated T for Mature themes, the misuse of lasers and the fate of Brain.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Shego scowled at the pile of junk scattered across the lair's common room. Amongst it all was her employer, clawing through the outdated computer parts and storage media.

"Ah," he said holding an unremarkable piece of technology aloft. "This Shego is the key to victory."

"Seriously Doctor D," Shego said. "That was obsolete when you were in high school, how exactly is it going to beat Kimmie?"  
"Not Kim Possible herself," the blue skinned scientist explained. "Her little compute hacker, with this and the other parts we can make a complicated device incompatible with modern conveniences."

"So?" Shego asked.

"So he won't be able to hack into my equipment," he replied. "Really it's obvious."

Shego rest her forehead on her palm. She wondered if if she should point out Kim and the Buffoon could just come and smash whatever Drakken was building as usual.

"I don't see how it leads to world domination either," Kim Possible said as she dropped from an air vent followed by a screaming Ron.

"Little early aren't we Princess," Shego said as she ignited her plasma.

"Blame your boss," Kim said as she dodged a blow. "A junk yard security camera spotted him when he was collecting this..."

"Crap," Shego said as Kim dodged another of her attacks. "That's all it is after all."

"So you think I'm wasting my time?" Kim asked as she attempted to sweep Shego's legs.

"Yeah," Shego said. "Honestly I can't really see his current scheme getting out of the plan phase."

"Shego we're leaving," Drakken said as he gained the upper hand in his slap tussle with Ron.

"Later Cupcake," Shego said as she back flipped away landing next to her employer. Drakken hit a button that activated a revolving wall. Soon after he and Shego disappeared a distant hum of an anti-grav engine was heard.

"Aww man!" Ron exclaimed. "They got away."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Sorry Kim," Wade said from the kimmunicator's tiny screen. "Once Shego took the controls there was no way electronic tracking could keep up.

"That's okay," the teen hero said as she flopped on the bed. "What we really need to know is specifications on the tech Drakken's been salvaging."

"Sorry I can't help you there either," the boy replied.

"But you're my go to guy with this stuff," she wailed.

"Sorry Kim I'm a computer expert not a history professor. Some of this stuff is so old school its been obsolete since before people knew Darth Vader was Luke's father."

"Well that is pretty old," Kim admitted.

"Can you give me a description of the piece he got away with?"

"Sure," Kim replied and began giving a detail description.

"Okay," Wade said when she had finished. "I'm posting it on a few sites know to be hangouts for old hackers."

"There are websites like that?" Kim asked.

"All old people like to talk about their glory days from time to time," Wade shrugged. "Anyway we'll see what turns up."

 _Track me down and I'll give you the knowledge you seek._ The message in Wade's personal e-mail was intriguing. For a start only immediate family members, Kim and Ron should even know it existed. He immediately began tracking it's path through the complicated transmission vector it had been sent. After a good three hours work he had a name, address and telephone number. The address and number were nothing special, just information really, the name however. The name was legendary, treated with awe by those that worked closely with computers. He checked the time and date not knowing exactly how much time had passed during his search. It was office hours for the person in question it seemed. He picked up his barely used phone and dialled. There was two rings from the other end before it was answered.

"Metro City University, Information technology teaching and repairs," said a female voice. "Penny Gadget speaking."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Thanks for the ride," Kim said to her pilot as she disembarked from the single engine aircraft.

"It's the least I could do after you cleared up that boundary dispute with my neighbour."

"Anyone could have looked through centuries old records and found the paper work that showed his great grandfather gave that stretch to your grandfather when they became in-laws" Kim said. "It's such a sad story about what happened to your grandfather's first wife though."

"We're hoping to find her grave on that land while we mend the fence," the pilot said sadly. "My neighbour and I think that spot should always be hers and hers alone no matter what disagreement we're having."

"Drop me a line if you do find it," Kim said as she thought back at how peaceful that mission was. It was still a challenge and it was nice to prove the do anything motto on something other than world saving or super villain battling. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of flailing limbs and a surprised yelp as Ron managed to fall out of the aircraft. Sighing she helped her long time best friend off the ground.

"I can't believe we actually have to pay for a cab," he moaned as they made their way through the airport terminal.

"Well no one owes me favours here," Kim explained. "Metro City is very peaceful so other than the occasional fan mail our website gets no traffic from here, thus no sitchs and therefore nobody who owes me a favour."

Although Kim would be the first to admit calling it a city was a little bit of a stretch. Although larger than Middleton it was still only a collection of suburbs with only a slightly urbanised central business district, only five or so blocks of high rises. Soon their taxi had pulled into the immaculate grounds of the university with its well cared for lawns and shady trees. After paying the driver the fare and what could be considered a generous tip compared to what some other teenagers would give Kim pulled out the kimmunicator to contact Wade.

"No need for that," came Wade's voice from behind them.

"Wade you're actually here?" Ron gasped.

"I've been here a day or two," Wade explained. "I mean this person, she's a living legend so I had to do some real world checking and then, well I'm just itching to meet her."

"You seem nervous," Kim remarked.

"I am," Wade said. "She invented portable computing, she's even been described as the early internet's babysitter."

"Well lead they way then," Kim smiled glad that something had gotten Wade to actually come outside without any encouragement on her or Ron's part. Wade lead them down the stairs into the basement of the building they had met by. Down a short corridor was a door that looked like it was out of an old detective film. On the glass was painted P. Gadget Head of Department. Wade opened the door with an almost religious reverence.

"Ah Wade Load," said the Blonde behind the desk. "And this must be Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable."

Kim took a moment to take in the woman's appearance. The blonde hair was pulled back in a simple pony tail, her face relatively free of wrinkles or other marks of age. Although Kim would guess she was in her thirties or at most her early forties. The woman seemed fit but in a more average way than Kim. The pink button down dress shirt gave the woman an air of professionalism despite the rolled up sleeves and the colour choice gave an air a femininity, especially when combined with the simple heart shaped locket she wore around her neck. That contrasted greatly with the glimpse Kim caught of pink sneakers in an eighties design. Finally Kim wondered where the heck does a person buy green denim jeans?

"Kim, Ron this is Professor Penny Gadget," Wade said introducing everyone. "If it's computers pre-1992 she's either the go to expert or invented it."

"I only really invented long lasting laptop batteries," Penny said modestly. "It's nothing compared to your minaturization work Mr. Load. How I would love to see the Kimmunicator prototypes."

"Professor I believe we have more important matters to discuss," Wade replied.

"Of course," Penny said as she shifted her focus to Kim. "Now Miss Possible can you please describe what you saw.

"Please call me Kim," the red head said.

"Then please call me Penny."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Kim described the piece of technological bric a brac in detail and Penny's visage grew more concerned.

"And it had some kind of brand logo on it," Kim said. "Like a black demon but kind of cat like."

Penny's face became cold and unresponsive.

"Was it something I said?" Kim asked.

"Wha... no Kim," Penny said. "But I just need to go get my things."

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Because until that thing is disposed of I'm coming with you," Penny explained.

"You can't just..." Kim began.

"That thing," Penny said as she grabbed a well loved grey trench coat from a rack by the door. "Only two living people know what it is capable of and I'm one of them."

"But..." Kim tried again.

"Come along children," she said. Kim, Ron and Wade had no choice but to follow.

They had a short trip in a van that had more switches than any vehicle made at the Middleton space centre, which Kim had wisely kept Ron away from. Penny pulled up in the drive way of a modest house with an average garden and was in and out of said house within a few minutes. She passed Ron a book and a red dog collar. Ron thought the Japanese characters along the spine might read something like happy mothers day but the only time he was confident in reading that language had been to find out what food items honourable lunch lady had denied him during his Yamounichi sojourn. Kim noticed that Penny had changed her watch from an elegant lady's watch to one with a LCD screen, the simple strap holding the watch to the woman's wrist was obviously much newer than the timepiece itself.

"Right," Penny said as she backed the van out onto the road. "Ready to see the birth place of global justice?"

"Huh?" Kim blurted.

"I have to have a word with the junior chief."

"Junior Chief?" Kim asked.

Penny smiled and flipped one of the switches and pulled a hard right. Ron screamed as they headed straight at a wall. Which they passed through without incident.

"Hologram?" Wade asked.

"Yes," was Penny's reply. "But only when the entrance is open."

Penny drove down a spiral ramp until she came to a hidden car park, with a smirk she parked in the spot labelled with the name Dr. E. Director. The blonde woman stepped out of the car just in time to great the global justice agent who was rushing over to them.

"Penny Gadget," she stated. "Reserve agent 104, the current code is this message will."

"Self destruct in five seconds," was the agents response.

"I believe my companions Team Possible as the records departments designates them have special dispensation in regards to GJs non critical facilities and up to level 3 information."

"Yes that's right..."

"No need for you to show me the way I know where her office is."

"Sorry Agent Jones," Kim said to the man as she ducked by him. "I think I found out something that really is that urgent."

"Don't worry dude we'll tell the boss lady you're doing a good job," Ron commented as he went past. Agent Jones sighed, this was suppose to be the easy job at GJ, just guarding the Directors quiet space, no insane felons from his last post at the secure holding facility and no Will Du as his immediate superior at the main base. And who the hell was that blonde woman with Ms. Possible anyway?

Doctor Director knew exactly who the blonde woman was and thankfully able to wipe away the spilled coffee before the group arrived at her office. "How unexpected to see you again Professor Gadget. Ms. Possible, Mr. Stoppable may I commend you on your disaster relief efforts in China last week."

"Oh it was no big," Kim replied. "Anyone could have zip lined across the flooded river to deliver the emergency medical supplies."

"Enough with the pleasantries Junior," Penny said sternly. "Project Skill Tester has resurfaced."

Dr. Directors face hardened from impatient politeness to one cold with calculation.

"When, where and how much time do we have?" She said.

"I don't know the answer to the last question," Penny replied. "As for the rest Kim can give you the details."

"Ummm Drakken's being gathering obsolete computer components and a few day's ago he was caught on security camera stealing from the Middleton's Science Scrap and Techno Trash reselling yard."

"So Kim and I did our thing," Ron interjected.

"But he and Shego escaped with a single component," Kim continued. "It's most distinguishing feature was a logo that was a cat, demon head thing."

"It's all in the report I submitted to you on behalf of the team," panted Wade as he came through the door. "Sorry I'm late it took me a while to convince the agent outside I was actually here and not through some prohibited telepresence device."

"Ah Mr. Load its nice to finally meet you in person," Dr. Director said. "Seems I'll have to actually read this one and not just rubber stamp it while I have my afternoon coffee then."

"Betty you're going to have to tell them," Penny said. "If you don't I will and you won't be able to do anything about because I was here before the non disclosure agreements."

"Don't worry I will provide team possible with the relevant information," Dr. Director said calmly. "Unless it is classed level five information or above."

"Got it don't tell them about the time travel," Penny said exasperated.

Doctor Director ignored her and lead them into the adjoining conference room.

* * *

Once everyone was seated she began her presentation.

"MAD," she began as the logo Kim had seen appeared on the screen. "To this day we don't know if the acronym stands for any thing and our best guess is maniacal assured destruction or distraction or perhaps it didn't stand for anything at all. This ladies and gentleman this is the organisation that Global Justice was born to fight. Back then though it was a small group of American investigators and law enforcers affiliated with Interpol in order to halt the growing threat of mad this side of the Atlantic. Long story short the conflict escalated, we arrest a key financier and they'd put out henchmen using dangerous steroid concoctions, we'd counter with a cyborg and so on until we get to the things I am not at liberty to discuss with team possible. This came to an end with the death of Doctor Claw, MAD's leader by unknown causes."

Kim was disturbed by the fact that there wasn't any picture of the leader available according to the presentation.

"Wouldn't there be a photo from when the body was found?" Kim asked Penny quietly. "or is this an old presentation?"

"Claw found a way to maintain anonymity even in death," Penny offered.

"Any how it became apparent that many upstarts where using what was left of MAD to start their own criminal organisations or fuel their own plans of word conquest or destruction. Thus my mentor Chief Quimby helped me set up GJ and Interpol was able to go back to its original purpose although we still maintain a good working relationship with them."

"I do believe they helped you get Dementor on money laundering charges last month?" Wade asked.

"Quite right Mr. Load," Dr. Director said. "Of course both global justice and Interpol are still haunted by the legacy that MAD left us. Global Justice's responsibilities are the pieces of mad technology that haven't been recovered or are unable to be destroyed. This particular piece Dr. Drakken has uncovered is so dangerous we only keep physical case files to keep them well away from hackers."

"And the location where they are stored?" Wade asked. "How secure is it?"

"Only three people in the world are definitely capable of retrieving the files by means of theft," Dr. Director explained. "Shego of course either by brute force of her plasma powers or the more patient techniques she uses on her solo crimes, Professor Gadget here would be able to as well."

"The joys of a well spent youth," Penny sighed.

"The final person has the necessary skills but prefers to go after targets that are more challenging for her. For example her last heist targeted several Australian tourist attractions."

"Like Jackson Pollock's blue poles?" Kim asked.

"More along the lines of the Big Banana," Dr. Director said. "Not as impressive as the time she stole Abe Lincon's face from Mount Rushmore but still you can see her usual m.o. means the files are probably safe from her."

"So what exactly is project skill tester?" Kim asked.

"Professor Gadget can you take this one," Doctor Director said.

"Mind control, brain storage and a weapon all rolled into one," Penny explained. "Activate it and Claw has you. It's essentially an advance storage device with an incomplete copy of Doctor Claw's brain, it gets downloaded into who ever the device is pointed at. Without commands issued in Doctor Claws voice the subject tends to go on a rampage. If they're lucky enough to survive the carnage they cause the foreign data eventual effects the part of the brain that regulates breathing. This of course leads to death. All up the process takes roughly six days."

"Our worst case scenario think tank postulates at least a 31 percentage infection rate if this device was integrated into any communications network," Doctor Director stated. "Kim I want you and Team Possible to take the lead on this you have the most experience with Drakken and Shego, Global Justice will investigate where the device has been since it last surfaced in Go City eight years ago."

"Then I need to get home," Wade said. "No offence Dr. Director but my equipment at home can find Drakken's liars a lot fast than anything GJ has."

"None taken Mr. Load," she replied. "Agent Jones will show you what tube to take, the closest you can get though is your neighbour's mail box."

"That's fine," he said as he left the room. "I'll call when I have something Kim."

"You rock Wade," Kim said.

"Now any other questions?" the lady with the eye patch asked.

Ron timidly raised his hand.

"Where's the bathroom?" he asked.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Sorry it's been so long uncle," Penny said to the cryogenic storage tank. "You know work, the kids, not wanting to remember that horrible month. I just wanted to tell you that for the most part I'm safe and I'm happy. And that's thanks to you. Hopeful next time I visit the rest of the family will be..."

"Penny," Kim called as she walked down the stairs into the cold storage area. "Wade just got back to me Shego and...Who were you talking to?"

"You remember Betty saying that cyborg police people were deployed against MAD well this is one of them," Penny said sadly as she brushed some frost of the cyrotube. "Meet my Uncle Gadget, he was an inspector in GJ's precursor."

"I didn't think any US law enforcement agency used that rank?" Kim asked.

"What can I say GJ and Interpol were super tight back then," Penny explained. "Plus it helped whenever there was a case in Europe."

"I have similar problems when responding to crisis in the middle east," Kim said. "Don't want your help if you're a united states citizen of course that's before you even get to the various cultural sensitivities."

"I actual know a guy who could help a little with that," Penny said. "That is if his country still exists and he hasn't be ousted by religious hard liners and he doesn't mind I turned down his marriage proposal."

"How did your uncle get like that?" Kim asked and than quickly back pedalled. "Oh sorry that's insensitive isn't it, I mean..."

"He ended up this way saving my life," Penny said. "You understand If I don't want to talk about it? Its strange you know it was the first time he and his gadgets integrated properly and he was finally every thing the higher ups wanted but he was so damaged his internal systems switched to preservation mode and...sorry I'm getting of topic. You came down here to tell me something?"

"We've found Shego and Drakken," Kim said. "They're in China and surprise surprise taking anything the can grab from the cold war era."

"Know anyone with a cargo plane that owes you a favour?" Penny asked.

* * *

Kim did in fact know eleven such people. She wisely decided on a Chinese pilot that specialised in delivering cars direct from factories to their wealthy recipients.

"We'll reach your co-ordinates in five minutes Ms. Possible?" the Pilot said.

"Thanks for the lift Chen," Kim replied.

"Its the least I could do after you got the bosses off my back about use of the plane when I'm not on a delivery."

"Anyone could have explained the amount of good will flying food and medical supplies to remote communities lead to a massive image boost for their corporation."

"I think it was the points they could be scoring with the party that really worked though."

"Hey sometimes you have to play to the room," Kim said with a smirk. "Just open the door when we're at the drop zone."

Kim removed her flight headphones and mic and moved to the rear of the plane.

"We're almost there," she said as she got into Penny's van.

"Then Rufus and I can continue our conversation later," The blonde woman said as Ron's naked mole rat scampered back to his favourite pocket.

"Wait you can understand Rufus?" Kim asked as she clicked her seat belt into place.

"It's little harder than my dog was," Penny said. "I do wonder why smarty mart pets are like that though."

"Maybe Ron knows," Kim suggested. She turned around to see her best friend snoring in the back.

The planes cargo master hit the release on the door and then pulled the switch and then pulled the lever to release the clamps.

"Clear," he said while giving a hand signal.

Penny gunned the engine and accelerated out of the plane into the waiting sky. It was then that Ron woke up.

"Why is the car falling towards the ground!?" he screamed.

"Relax," Penny said as she pulled a few switches. "Go Go gadget mobile parachute."

A panel on the vans roof slide back and the chute unfurled in the air. There was a sudden jolt as they were decelerated. Then another gentler one as they softly touched down on the road some distance away from their destination.

"I don't know if we can make it to the facility before Draken and Shego return to their hovercraft," Kim fretted.

"Go go gadget mobile sports mode," Penny said smirking. There were several clunks as the van reconfigured. Panels shifted and locked into place, The tires raised into place as a new set folded into place. Soon the vehicle was no longer a van but a high powered sports car. Penny had been a little worried about the road but it seemed to be in good condition although she'd still give the gadget mobile version 5.2 a thorough service once the skill tester device was no longer a threat. It took Penny mere seconds to push her car to its top speed and mere minutes to reach the front door of the semi abandoned cold war facility. She parked right next to the hovercraft.

"Right," Kim said still a little excited by the transforming car and the short but fast drive. "Ron and I'll go in and look for Draken, Penny you stay here and...I don't know what you should do."

"Oh I'll find something to keep myself occupied," Penny said with a hint of humour.

"Right," Kim said. "Let's go Ron."

"Right behind you KP."

"Give it up Shego," Kim yelled as she grappled with her foe. "The project skill tester device is too dangerous whatever Drakken's planning it will backfire."

"Then what's new Princess," Shego snorted as she pushed back. "Besides he doesn't know what these things are called. I swear he's just connecting them together at random."

With that Shego gained the upper hand and threw Kim at Ron, who was of course engaged in a slap fight with Dr. Draken. Kim collided with her best friend and they fall to the ground. Draken wisely called for a tactical retreat.

"Lets go Shego!" he said. "I have most of what I need.."

Both villains fled to the entrance. They both took no notice of the sports car when they leapt aboard the hovercraft. The vehicle's engines thunked as Shego tried to get it airborne.

"Dr. D," she said calmly. "I think Kimmie did something to our ride."

"Not Kimmie," Penny said from the back seat. "Me."

Shego turned and was gobsmacked her mouth hanging open in shock.

"You think you're all that random blonde woman but you're not!" Draken screamed. He pressed a button on his belt buckle, shimmered and then disappeared. Shego stammered a little.

"Aunt Penny?" once that was out she promptly fainted.

* * *

"Wake up Kermie girl," came the voice into Shego's thoughts.

"No five more minutes," she groaned back. "Besides the kids at school just make fun of me, if they knew I really was Shego then I'd..."

"You'd what Kermie girl..."

"Nothing."

"That's what I thought Kermie Girl."

"Kermie Girl?"

Shego knew that voice, the buffoon and that meant...

"Don't make fun of her Ron this is going to be awkward enough as it is."

The cheerleader.

"Shego get up right know or I tell them your real name."

"Okay I'm up I'm up," Shego groaned as she got up much to quickly. "What are you doing here? With them? Were is here anyway?"

"As for the last question in your boss's hovercraft on the way to the nearest GJ outpost," Penny explained. "I'm just thankful I decided to go with a magnet in the latest gadget mobile so I didn't have to rely on Chinese authorities to send it back to me."

Shego looked behind the hovercraft and saw a van being pulled behind it. She couldn't believe the magnet in question looked exactly like one from a cartoon. Shego briefly wondered where scientist on both sides of the law found the damn things.

"But why are you hanging out with Kimmie?" Shego asked again.

"That can wait a little while," Penny said. "We're about ten minutes out from a GJ facility and what this is about is better discussed there. How have you been Kermie girl?"

"Not in front of my nemesis Aunt Penny!" Shego said in a low growl.

"Oh so she's been upgraded to nemesis has she," Penny teased. "I remember an e-mail were she was just an annoyance and would learn to stick to cheer leading."

"Well she's a persistent annoyance," Shego grunted.

"So um how do you two know each other?" Kim asked.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Come on Shego don't be like that," Penny admonished. "I was team go's live in tech support for a number of years, I also tutored them in computer science."

"Fat lot of good it did Hego or Mego," Shego grunted.

"I'd heard they took my security measures off the main screen," Penny sighed. "I think another few years with my spam bots meaning they can't use it at all will be punishment enough."

"So why is Shego calling you Aunt?" Ron asked.

"Well it started with me trying to get young Shego to open up to me," Penny explained. "Hard to believe but Shego was once shy and awkward."

"No more talk until we speak to Betty," Shego stated hoping that would be the end of it.

"How do you know Betty herself will grace us with her presence?" Penny asked.

"You're taking me Aunt Penny," Shego said. "If its you its always serious enough to talk to Betty."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Kim Possible stared through the two way mirror observing the interview. As Shego had predicted Doctor Director was conducting the interrogation herself. Kim thought it was strange Penny Gadget had decided to sit on the side of the table Shego was on. But that wasn't as strange as not even putting some restraints on Shego. Sure Kim knew handcuffs wouldn't mean anything to Shego with both her plasma powers and technical skills at lock picking but surely even a token show of global justice's goals were warranted. Kim didn't fail to notice was that whenever Doctor Director said something to agitate Shego Penny would rub the thief's back or say some comforting words.

"You know they haven't even mentioned the thing that Drakken found?" Ron interjected.

"I noticed that to," Kim said. Both teen heroes were surprised by what came next from the speaker letting them listen in.

"So we can wipe ten of these recent crimes from your rap sheet," Doctor Director explained to Shego. "in exchange for your help in this matter."

"I don't know," came the reply. "I might need a little more than that."

Doctor Director slide an A4 piece of paper across to Shego.

"These targets are ones GJ would actually be willing to assist you with in future untoward activities," she said. "Additionally we can release the locations of safe deposit boxes identified as belonging to Big Daddy Brotherson on a regular schedule."

"My My," Shego smirked. "In front of Kimmie to, it must be serious."

"I make no secret of my wish to recruit Ms. Possible and her team," Doctor Director said. "But contrary to popular belief I won't lie to her about the more underhanded things the organisation does to protect the world."

"So what's the job?"

"I'll leave Professor Gadget to brief you on that," with that Betty Director stood and left the room.

Penny turned her chair so that it was facing away from the two way mirror. Shego did the same. Penny pressed a few buttons on her watch and the video camera went dead as well as the audio feed to the observation room.

"I'm sorry that you've got dragged into my problems again honey," Penny said sadly.

"Aunt Penny what's going on?" Shego asked.

"It's resurfaced."

"No No No don't say that," Shego whimpered. "I burnt an entire city block to try and destroy it and then I had Hego throw it into the ocean. The last thing I did before I left."

"How come you didn't recognise it when Drakken picked it up?"

"It didn't look like it did then."

"Will you help us put it in a GJ vault only you and I can get in to?"

"Carmen could to if she wanted," Shego sighed. "But I guess its not her style."

"I don't have to tell you the consequences if we fail," Penny said.

"I won't let it ruin anyone else's life Aunt Penny," Shego said. "I made that promise a long time ago and I intend to keep it."

"I want you to think about telling Kim what happened the last time with this," Penny said. "I know that doesn't make sense and it still hurts but I think it will help her understand the threat emotionally not just intellectually."

"I'll try," Shego sighed. "But only because you think it would help. You can turn everything back on now."

Kim had been trying to read the two women's body language while everything else was unavailable to her. She had never seen Shego that upset before and Penny looked like a parent telling their children that all four of their grandparents died.

"So why can't we hear anything Doctor Director?" Ron asked when the woman joined them.

"Professor Gadget can be very secretive when she wants to be," she replied. "I've pieced together one or two things about what happened but its not my place to say anything as it's a very personal issue for both Shego and the Professor." All three were startled when Shego's voice came through the speaker.

"Yo cupcake get your nerdlinger on the phone," she said. "I'll help him eliminate lairs Drakken hasn't used for a while on the way."

"On the way where?" Kim asked while pressing the button that allowed her to speak with the other room.

"Go City," Shego said. "I have to talk with my idiot brother."

* * *

Due to Global Justice having already dismantled the hovercraft to see if Drakken had improved the design since they had last captured one the ride to Go city was going to be an awkward three hours as the only travel tube large enough for Penny's gadget mobile in van mode came out just south of Lowerton. There was a closer one if it was in Sports Car mode but with Shego there just wasn't enough room in the back seat.

"Ron you take the front seat," Kim said. "I'll sit in the back with Shego."

"What if I wanted the ride shotgun Princess?" Shego asked.

"Kermie Girl," Penny said. "Back seat, I haven't forgotten what you did to the gadget mobile mark 3."

"That was Mego's fault Aunt Penny," Shego stuttered.

"And who was the passenger flipping switches, just because, when I lent it to him so he could run some errands for me."

"I"ll be good and sit in the back with cupcake."

The entire exchange made Kim think about Ron.

"No touching buttons or switches Ron," she said. "I know you can hold out until we get there."

"But what if Professor Gadget..."

"No touching," Kim repeated.

The trip through the Travel tube didn't take very long but the rather rough landing they had after coming out from behind a billboard mounted on the second story of a factory in Lowerton's industrial district made Penny cringe. Even Shego seemed jarred by the landing.

"Ah Shego?" Kim said. "I've got Wade on the line to help eliminate lairs, I...I want to thank you for your help, I can appreciate whatever happened before means this is hard for you."

"Believe me princess you have no idea," Shego said as she took the Kimmunicator. "Okay Nerdlinger eliminate all the underwater lairs, Doctor D couldn't afford the New York sub basement any more and I've personally made sure we don't have and lairs in the Arctic or Antarctic circle."

"That narrows down the list significantly," Wade said. "Thanks Shego."

"Your taking the fact I'm working with Kimmie really well."

"Well I figure if its got you working against it it must be end of the world type stuff so we might as well just do our jobs and get on with it, you know so the world doesn't end," he explained. "Tell Kim I'll call back when I have something."

Shego threw the device back to the teen hero and began to relay the message.

"I heard," Kim said. Shego turned back to her window and lost herself in thought while watching the passing country side.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Shego had tried three times to tell Kim the story of the skill tester device and the role it had played in her fall to villainy. The first time Kim had been on the phone to her parents, the second time the teen hero was napping and the third, well the third time Shego was a coward and had returned to staring out the window. Then as is always the way of the big cities the countryside gave way to suburbs and industrial buildings which eventually became denser and then buildings began to reach for the sky until at it's center you could barely make out the whether the weather was fine or overcast due to the towers. Shego sighed. They hadn't gone through the suburb she had grown up in. It was on the other side of town. Go tower was never home but Hego had never understood that. Hego didn't understand a lot of things. Penny pulled the car up at the look out were people could put a dime in the binoculars to view the monstrosity the served as base of operations for team go.

Everyone got out of the Gadget-mobile with Penny taking the lead. She opened the mysterious book she had bought along and revealed a computer was held within its pages.

"You still have that thing?" Shego asked needing something to lash out at.

"Quiet you," Penny said. "I've upgraded."

"I see your daughters finally got at it though."

"It was very sweet of them to replace the cover," Penny said while concentrating on her work. "You wouldn't know who disabled the firewalls and the rest of the security."

"Don't look at me Aunt Penny," Shego said holding her hands up defensively.

"If it was Hego again," Penny grumbled.

"Couldn't we just call them?" Ron suggested. "Have them send over a boat or something?"

"Not a good idea," Penny said. "Hego got home from his shift a bueno Nacho fifteen minutes ago."

"So?" the boy asked.

"So he's likely to get the wrong idea with Shego turning up out of the blue," Kim explained. "He definitely doesn't understand her at all and is likely to believe she is either here to rejoin team go or for nefarious purposes."

"He's likely to start with the former and move to the later," Shego said with a sigh.

"But you couldn't you ask him Kim?" Ron wondered.

"Well I would but..."

"But I've finished," Penny said.

There was clunk and whirl as the Binoculars rose from the ground revealing a spiral stair case. Penny closed her book and proceeded down. Shego and Kim quickly followed with Ron bringing up the rear. At the bottom of the stairs a long tunnel extend as far as the island Go tower had been built on. It was damp but well lit. Kim noticed it seemed a little small though. In fact Shego, the tallest of the four, was stooping a little in order to walk along it. The teen hero figured it was probably an escape route for the younger members of team go when their brother became too overbearing. In fact it wasn't that hard to imagine a younger Shego coming in the opposite direction when she quit team go. Soon they came to a metal door that wasn't locked. It opened onto typical basement come games room, in fact the Wego's were on the couch playing some fighting game.

"Hey guys," Shego said. "How are you?"

"Shego!" they both yelled and jumped up and ran over multiplying until there was about ten of them enveloping her in a hug.

"How long are you staying for?"

"You're not coming back to stay?"

"Did Doctor Drakken do something too stupid?"

"Did you do something and you're worried about Kim Possible finding you?"

"We made sure your super Nintendo was put upstairs during that hurricane."

"We had to work for three days to clean up."

"We've missed you."

"And despite what he says Mego did to."

Kim couldn't help but smile at the scene, she'd have to make sure to give her brothers a hug when she got back home.

"What no hugs for me?" Penny asked.

"Aunt Penny!" they both said as their copies were reabsorbed. "Long time no see, how's your family?"

The blonde woman hugged each one separately as she replied.

"Quite well thank you," she said. "Although my youngest is still waiting on the date you promised her Wesley."

"That was Wendell."

"I'm your Aunt Penny and..."

"Aunt Penny always knows everything ever especially which twin is which."

"She's got them chipped or something hasn't she?" Kim whispered to Shego.

"Noticed she checked her crazy watch while hugging them huh."

"Yep."

"Nice to see you both again," Kim said once Penny was done.

"You to..

"...Kim Possible."

"Oh man is that Spirit Excal Two!" Ron exclaimed being more interested in the game.

"Yeah," began one of the Wego's.

"We have..."

"...a special..."

"...copy with..."

"...all three of the bonus characters..."

"...from the three different editions."

"That is so cool," Ron said.

"How about you stay and secure the exit then Ron," Kim suggested.

"Whatever you want."

"Guys," Shego said to her brothers. "I have to talk to Hego and it's going to get messy probably. Mego isn't here?"

"No he's at the apartment."

"It's closer to his job."

"So he's finally employed uh," Shego said. "Tell him I'm proud of him next time you see him."

"Well lets get this over with," Penny said as she moved to the elevator that would take them to the conference room.

"Don't worry Shego," Kim said. "We just have short chat with your brother and then we know who we have the beat up, the people we beat up tell us how to track the device, you steal it back from Drakken and then we go back to normal."

"You know as plans go it kinda sucks," Shego said. "But the prospect of beating people up and stealing stuff makes me feel better."

"No beating up your brother though."

"Yes Aunt Penny." Shego said as the Elevator Doors closed.

Hego sighed as he looked around the empty chairs at the table. Team Go used to be something spectacular, not any more, heck his siblings didn't even want to hang out and watch movies with him on the giant screen any more. His eyes fell upon the green chair. It had all fell apart after she had left after she had fallen to the temptation to use her powers for evil. Sure they all still did some good but never the greatness when they had all been together. Hego just couldn't understand why. The giant screen flashed on and he briefly saw the mayor, it however immediately flashed back off. There was a quiet ding as the elevator opened behind him.

"Finally," Penny said closing her computer book. "Now only qualified law enforcement can contact you view the screen. Special dispensation for the President, the UN secretary general and the list of approved leaders from the Commonwealth of nations. As it was suppose to be."

"But..." Hego said looking from the screen to the elevator and back again.

"Later Hego," Penny said. "We're on important business."

"Hego can you please..?"

"Finally repenting your villainous ways Shego ready to become one of the good guys," he said in the grating heroic voice he had. "Very well but if you're here for some nefarious purp..."

"Wow he combined both," Kim interrupted.

"Ah Miss Possible," he said when he noticed her. "As pleasant as it is to see you I fear I must warn you against associating with my sister. In fact I believe she may have already damaged your ability to tell right from wrong, I am referring of course to the instructions you gave Mr. Load regarding the situation in Darafic three months ago."

"I knew that was you getting training from Ned at Bueno Nacho."

"Telling a minor to hack into the communications of a legitimate government."

"Hey hold up," Kim said. "First that government was elected through bribery, intimidation and worse. Second they were already stockpiling foreign aid and not distributing to those that need it and third when the Tsunami hit it effected area's where the regimes political and tribal rivals lived. You know what their emergency response plan was? To do nothing. Genocide through inaction. Thank god Wade recorded their vice president calling it almost exactly that. GJ was able to arrest at least one of those monsters and I was able to go in and actually start saving people and guiding aide workers to stockpiles of food and medicine. What I got Wade to do was Illegal but at the time it was most definitely the right thing to do."

"Your defending it just the way she used to," Hego said pointing at Shego.

"Hermes just shut up for a minute!" Shego yelled. Everyone was suddenly paying attention to her except for Penny who seemed to be engrossed in her computer book.

"That thing I gave you," she said quietly. "Just before I left, the one I asked you to throw towards the middle of the Atlantic ocean, you did do as I asked right?"

Hego sat down and simply said, "No."

Shego's fist flared with her green plasma energy and she punched him straight in the face with her full force. The kind Kim had seen take vault doors of their hinges. Hego's head snapped back a little, Shego looked like she was going throw another but suddenly her plasma was gone.

"She wouldn't want me to," she said. "I would because of her but she wouldn't want me to. For her."

"What are you talking about?" Hego asked.

"What did you do with it then?" Shego asked.

"As I suspected it was stolen," Hego said. "I returned it to its rightful owner."

"What part of 'this thing is dangerous and it needs to be were no one can get it' didn't you understand?" Shego spat.

"Dangerous to you maybe," Hego said. "Didn't you think I hadn't noticed the tapes of us fighting super villains, the visits to Dojo's that could teach you lethal techniques and all those essays on the criminal physque. To top it all off I found your plans to infiltrate the mayor's mansion. Obviously that thing could have exposed you a lot earlier than that news report did. I even held off finding the owner to give you a chance to..."

"Give me a name Hego."

"It belonged to a Mr. J. Hench," he said. "I charmingly polite fellow, unusual last name of course but hey compared to Miss Possible's it down right normal."

Kim slapped her face with her palm but then found a much better use for her hand. She slapped Hego across the face with it. It hurt like hell but it was worth it just to see the look of surprise on his face.

"You idiot you should have trusted your sister," Kim thought she did remarkably well not to silently cry out in pain until she turned around. Penny closed her computer book with a heavy slap.

"Shego take Kim back to the car and giver her some first aid," Penny said. "And Kim be patient with Shego." When both girls had entered the elevator and the numbers indicated it was going down Penny turned to Hego.

"And here comes the lecture where you try to stop me doing what's right," Hego said.

"I'm trying to stop you from doing what's stupid," Penny said. "You are always jumping to the wrong conclusions because you never ask about things and charge straight ahead just like how you formed Team Go with out any input from your siblings."

"I don't jump to wrong conclusions I formulate the..."

"Okay why was I assigned to Team Go as tech support by global justice?"

"Because Shego was obviously going to need to ask about girl stuff at some point," he said. "I already had the talk before ma and pa died so I could explain it to the Wegos and Mego."

"I hate doing this Atsuko is so much better at announcing me like this," Penny said under her breath. "I am professor Penny Gadget, world travelling adventurer, at age eight I lost my parents to the machinations of MAD. By age ten I was assisting my uncle in the fight against them by age sixteen I saw them disbanded and their leader dead. No computer system is safe from me, I've hacked it, cracked it or created a back door when I made it. I helped found Global Justice and I was assigned here because they knew if asked I could help you all become better heroes. And guess what? Shego asked."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Hego all that stuff you thought was Shego falling to Villainy," Penny explained. "It was me teaching her how to be a hero who acts rather than reacts, but no you think that just because she acciddently breaks a gang members arm because of her new fighting style that she's fallen in love with fighting."

"But..."

"The videos were her learning weaknesses of your rogues gallery," Penny explained. "The dojo's were expanding her skill set to be prepared for any and all situations, even Kim Possible knows some lethal techniques and if you don't think that is the case then you are as naive as the Wegos say."

"But plotting against the mayor?" Hego asked. "Surely that was sign of her awakening evil."

"That plan was mine," Penny said exasperated. "We had reason the suspect the mayor had been paying super villains to attack Go city, with bonuses for those attacking schools, hospitals, places of worship and so on."

"Why would the Mayor attack his own city?"

"I don't know the extra exposure he got when he thanked the team for saving the day," Penny pondered. "Perhaps the increase in tourism dollar from those wanting to see super heroes in action. My personal feeling was a deeper plot that might have... no its only speculation. In any case the investigation was compromised when you forced her away."

"I didn't force her away," Hego said. "I've always maintained she can rejoin the team as long as she follows..."

"That's just it," Penny said. "You reacted to the whole situation as the Lawful good and idiotic Hego and not as Hermes the big brother. You never thought to ask her what was wrong in those final weeks."

"There wasn't anything wrong she just..."

"Yes there was something wrong argueable there still is," Penny said sadly. "I'll get Doctor Director to contact you and remind you the importance of reading those briefings Global Justice so thoughtfully prepares for you. Expect to receive some token punishment for letting a doomsday device fall into the hands of an associate of known criminals."

With that she stalked back to the elevator not caring if Hego had anything more to say.

* * *

Ron had dropped his very important video game when he realised Kim was hurt. He had followed his friend and Shego back to the car and although he wanted to ask what happened he had wisely kept his mouth shut. He was surprised when Shego gave him a quick glance and a warm appreciative smile. He shuddered, predatory he could deal with but a friendly Shego he wasn't so sure of. Once they returned to the car Shego tried the glove compartment. But it wouldn't open.

"Go Go gadget first aid kit," Shego sighed.

Sure enough the glove compartment slid out to reveal a first aid box. Shego noted that it was just a regular kit so there wouldn't be any problems using it. Of course everything in the box was a little more advance than normal.

"So any broken finger bones Princess?" Shego asked as she searched for what she needed.

"My kimmunicator's med scan is saying no," Kim replied as she held her device in her good hand. "Just reading swelling and the glow's energy signature."

"Standard Ice pack it is then," Shego said as she wrapped Rim's hand in the first aid cool pak.

"So what happened?" Ron asked deciding it would be safe to ask now.

"Kimmie defended my honour by hitting Hego in the face."

"You mean that brick wall he has instead," Kim groaned.

"That's an insult to bricks," Shego said. "I ask him to do one thing and..."

"It's okay Shego," Kim said.

"No No its not," Shego said quietly. "My best friend died because of the damn thing and my brother hands it right to the best networked man in the criminal community."

"Is this the person who wouldn't want you to hit Hego again?" Kim asked.

"Yeah," Shego said. "Iris was cool like that."


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Penny yawned as she pulled into a motel in some suburb just outside Go city. She was too tired to drive and she didn't really trust the other three to do it. Kim had racked her brain trying to come up with someone that owed her favour that could get them back to Middleton that night but she was too tired as well. So they had settled on getting out of the main part of Go city and finding somewhere to stay. What they had found was an affordable place that was nice and clean. The kind of place a family would stay when visiting the big city, or a sporting event would fill merely due to its proximity to the suburban playing fields. Were any fond memories made are merely on the part of the guests' efforts alone. Shego actually had one such memory of this particular motel, involving herself and Iris.

Once they were in their room and Kim, and Penny had fallen asleep in the largest of the three provided beds, Ron in the one next to that. Shego thought that the situation at least wouldn't be something she would forget easily. She couldn't sleep herself of course. How could she when that thing that had taken so much from her was still out there? She looked over at Kim and Ron and wondered were she would be if Iris was still around. An ordinary life, not the world of super heroics and villainy. Of course there would still be world saving. Charity events, food drives, donating blankets and clothes. Iris never saw a for charity event or school activity she didn't become involved in. She had been a lot like Kim in that respect. The thief couldn't help but wonder if circumstances had been different if Iris had gained the powers of the comet that she would have focused on the rescue work that had always truly been Kim Possible's main focus. That and more Shego decided. She entertained a brief fantasy were that was what had happened and Shego and Ron played video games while the two overachievers talked shop. She couldn't picture it very long though as her mental image of herself remained green and thus revealed the lie of it all. She so very much wanted to cry or go out and rob a bank to make herself feel better. Crying would make her seem weak to her adversary and her Aunt Penny would probably hack all her credits cards if she went and robbed a bank. Even the ones that weren't in her own name. She looked over at Kim again. The girl who could do anything. She hoped the teen hero would come out of it unscathed. The world already had too many Shego but could defiantly do with more Kim Possibles.

Finding sleep still eluded her she turned on the rooms small television making sure to mute the sound. She could red lips easily enough. She had flicked through channels for several hours finding nothing but infomercials when she heard whispering from over near Penny and the faint glow of a miniature screen.

"She's handling it but...I don't know...You real think so...no I won't meddle like that, its up to her..okay love you."

Shego mental calculated the time difference between where they were and the only person likely to be on the other end. Sure enough Penny soon stood went over to the tiny fridge and poured herself a glass of water. Then stuck her head in the fridge for about five minutes. This wasn't the first time Shego had seen this so it didn't concern her one bit. After Penny removed her head from the fridge she noticed the Shego was still up. She bought her glass of water over and sat down next to the younger woman.

"Want to talk about it?" Penny asked.

"No."

"But your going to anyway because you need to?"

"Yes," Shego admitted. "You know Iris and I had a vacation here the summer after Junior year at High School."

"Of course," Penny explained. "Just because GJ installed me to mentor you doesn't mean they weren't also using me to spy on you."

"I know its pretty stupid to stay in a place in the town you live in but..."

"It was more of a chance for you to be normal for a while," Penny said.

"Exactly," Shego said with a sigh. "Going shopping, to the library, convincing her to play video games with me, using my real name and then when the skin camouflage patches ran out she dragged me to a science fiction convention. You don't know how good it was to have some one deride the terrible make up job I did with my Siriun costume."

"It was that week that she asked me what I wanted to do if I didn't have super powers," Shego continued. "I told her and she said I should do it anyway, not worry about what was best for team go but worry what was best for me."

"I hope that becoming a thief wasn't what you wanted to be?"

"No of course not," Shego snorted. "Teaching I wanted to be a teacher before all the stuff with the comet happened. I earned a degree in Child Development about three years ago now you know."

"I applied a few places and actually had a job lined up," Shego explained. "But the day before I was due to start I phoned them up to say something else had come up."

"Why?" Penny asked.

"Because I can't be normal, at least not without Iris," Shego said. "I don't want that happening to Kimmie. I don't want her to lose Ron or anyone else in the support network that helps her be normal like I lost the one person who allowed me to be normal."

"I always appreciated the stability that Iris gave you," Penny said. "But I understand if you feel you can't ask anyone for the help to reach that place again."

"I don't think anyone can."

"I know one person who'd be willing to try at least," Penny said nodding towards the sleeping Kim.

"Yeah she would but..." Shego hesitated. "Its probably not a good idea."

"Oh my god," Penny said with a laugh. "I can't believe she was right about you having a thing for Kim."

"I do not have a thing for Kim," Shego said. "If Iris had asked me back then maybe but only because it was her."

"Keep telling yourself that Kermie girl."

"Shut up Aunt Penny."

"Congratulations by the way."

"For what?"

"For graduating university."

"Like you didn't already know."

"Still I wanted you to tell me first."

"Go back to bed Aunt Penny."

The older woman did just that with a smile on her face and in her heart. Maybe they could save Shego as well as the world.

* * *

They arrived back in Middleton mid morning the next day. Kim and Ron checked in at school while Penny got Shego to help her run checks on the gadget mobile. They all hated waiting but it was necessary. GJ had information that Hench himself was the only one to interact with the device at his company. Thus to continue their investigation they need to talk to him. Unfortunately it was going to take a while to find him as he had wisely taken security precautions that were even a problem for Wade.

The call came just as Kim and Ron were leaving school in the afternoon.

"We're in luck," he said as Kim and Ron looked at the kimmunicator and Penny and Shego looked at the computer watch. "Jack Hench is at his Upperton Office until six."

"Building schematics," Kim said. "How do we get in with all four of us."

"No need," Wade said as a look of surprise crossed his face. "You and Penny have an appointment Kim, at 4:30."

"I assume that was you Aunt Penny," Shego asked.

"Guilty as charged," Penny smirked back. "Come on lets pick up Kim and Ron and get going."

* * *

It was a short trip after Penny had picked up the teenagers. They barely had any time to devise a plan to get Jack Hench to tell him what he knew but Penny was good at playing it by ear and it wasn't like Shego and Kim hadn't had to improvise before. They had the bare bones of how to play the confrontation as they walked towards the front door of the Hench co office building.

"See you later Aunt Penny, cupcake." Shego said as she disappeared around the side of the building. Kim was certain that the thief had actually managed to disappear from view before rounding the corner. Quite a feat considering how much the green and black catsuit stood out in the daylight hours.

Upon entering the lobby the girl on the front desk directed Kim and Penny to the right elevator.

"So?" Kim asked as they slowly ascended. "GJ keeps Hench around because they have spies in the temp henching department right?"

"Got it in one Kim," Penny said. "That way they can discover if new villain's are operating, what big plots the current ones are cooking up if they require more muscle and so on."

"I had Wade do some digging into Mr. Hench after I first encountered him," Kim said. "He turned up surprisingly little."

"I can tell you about that later, we're here," Penny said as the elevator door's dinged as they opened.

Penny didn't even acknowledge the secretary as she strode past to the double doors leading to Hench's office.

"Sorry to be rude," Kim said as she walked past. "But it's a matter of world safety."

The secretary just sighed and pressed the button on her intercom.

"Mr. Hench your 4:30 appointment is here."

To his credit Jack Hench had managed to get up and walk over to greet his visitors before Penny had barged through the door. Kim smiled politely as he made the necessary pleasantries it actually became genuine after she noticed the green and black blur that moved to be under his enormous desk.

"Come come please take a seat," Hench said as he returned to his seat.

Once Penny and Kim were both seated he took a moment to compose himself.

"So what can I do for the illustrious Kim Possible and her associate?" he asked ever the professional semi legitimate business man.

"We believe you once had in your possession a very deadly device," Kim said. "One that would pose a danger to both sides of the law if not the entire world. We were hoping in the spirit of the continued existence of your ability to turn a profit you would share with us any information you may have discovered while the device was in your custody. It is our hope you may have a way to track it."

"Can you tell me what the device is?"

"Project Skill tester," Penny said gravely.

"You can't really believe that inert piece of junk is dangerous," Hench said. "I had the boys down in R and D looking at it for years and their conclusion was it was more useless than a floppy disk."

"Jacky, Jacky, Jacky," Penny said with menace. "You and I both know anything Doctor Claw personally had a hand in can be nothing but dangerous."

"Who the hell are you?"

"The person who knows everything about you," Penny said. "How you impersonated the departed Doctor's voice to gain M.A.D's African and central European assets to start your own little empire. Using what you acquired to track down the former mad Hench men, nice touch legally changing your name to hench by the way, so you'd have the muscle."

"Oh crap," he said. "You're her."

"Yes, now are you going to tell Kim what we need to know?"

"Okay okay."

"So can you tell us anything?" Kim asked.

"All I know is we found another component," he said. "R and D boys managed to integrate it but we still got nothing at all when we hooked it up to the most advance off grid super computer we had at the time. That thing was costing us more money than it was worth so I decided to cut the company's loses and just trash it. Easier to bribe government officials to find what we had hoped to discover."

"You were looking for more old M.A.D. Bases weren't you?" Penny asked.

"I don't think that's relevant," Hench said. "Now I did put a tracking device on it just in case but I just can't divulge a company secret like its frequency without any compensation, I am a business man after all."

"No need to tell us," Kim said. "We already know."

"How could you possibly have found out," he indicated Penny. "She hasn't pulled out any of her equipment and I have taken measures against Mr. Load."

"Still we have all we need from you," Kim said. "Thank you for your co-operation."

"I think you're over stating the danger this device posses," Hench said as the went to stand up. "It has only one confirmed fatality and that was when an inexperienced super hero decided to flash the device's lights in the face of an undiagnosed epileptic."

Kim dived to the side as the desk exploded upwards and backwards landing in front of the double doors creating a handy barricade. Penny had merely collapsed lacking the athletic prowesses Kim possessed. Shego had grabbed Jack Hench by his collar, her free hand was curled in a way to make the talons on her gloves appear the most threatening they could be. The threat was massively emphasised by the fury to the plasma fire it was wreathed in.

"Go ahead," Shego growled. "Say I killed her again!"

Kim had seen Shego angry before, she had seen her irritated, annoyed and just a little bit mad. This was the first time Kim had seen her adversary furious. She was glad she wasn't on the receiving end. The teen was at a loss on what to do to calm the situation.

"Shego," Penny said as she laid a supporting hand on the thief's shoulder. "I should handle this. Think about Iris. What would she want you to do?"

Slowly the green plasma flames subsided and Shego dropped the terrified man. She turned and marched out the door not even stopping as she flung a ball of plasma energy at the painting that decorated the secretaries reception area.

"Go after her please Kim?' Penny asked.

Kim nodded and rushed after Shego managing to slip into the elevator just as the door closed.

"Jacky, Jacky, Jacky," Penny said as she pulled out her computer book began working. "That was a mistake doing that in front of me, upsetting Shego like that, enjoy your audits in Canada, Australia and just for fun Brazil. Oh and good luck getting insurance from any of those nice big city of London firms any more. One more thing."

She walked over and kicked the still prone Jack Hench in the stomach.

"That's for killing my dog back in the day," she spat. "Good Day Mr. Hench you better hope our paths don't cross again."


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The drive back to Kim's place was a quiet affair. The only sound was a quiet slap as Penny kept Ron's hand away from the gadget mobile's switches. Shego had looked forlornly out the window all the way back. Kim had been looking at the back of the woman's head wondering if she should say something, anything. As they pulled into Kim's Drive Ron mentioned something about having to go home and at least check in with his parents. Kim promised to come get him as soon as the device was found. Kim turned her attention back to Shego who had still not left the car despite Penny actually trying to lift the more muscular woman out of the vehicle.

"Come on Kermie Girl," Penny said.

"No I'm staying here," Shego said.

"Why?" Penny asked.

"I'll stay here and do nothing like Iris and I should have when we found the thing," Shego said. "Like I should have when she died, I should have just locked myself in my room in go tower and never came out again."

Ron heard the slap from several streets away as Kim's palm connected with Shego's face.

"Get a hold of yourself," Kim said. "Where's the Shego who was a hero that fixed her mistakes and as a villain gets even? We're is the woman who forces me to act instead of react. All I see is a sobbing mess who can't get over something that isn't that important in the here and now..."  
Kim was cut off as Shego leapt at her with a feral scream and the battle began.

"Well at least she's out of the car," Penny sighed as she backed away towards the front door of the Possible residence. She watched for a little while as Kim dodged and flipped her way around the barrage of plasma charges that Shego was lobbing at the teen. She eventually got bored of the spectacle and rang the door bell.

Anne Possible answered and Penny could see were Kim had gotten her good looks from. She decided it was probably impolite to stand there just staring and decided to introduce herself.

"Hello Doctor Possible," she said. "My name is Penny Gadget I'm assisting your daughter with her inquires into Doctor Draken's latest schemes. I was wondering if I might come inside and rest while Kim sorts out some difficulties with another consultant assisting her in this matter."

"Oh my, "Anne said. "Is that Shego?"

"Indeed."

Penny turned to see what Anne was looking at just in time to see Kim front flip over Shego, Kick against the Villainess's back, send the green woman tumbling to the ground, Kim landed in a backwards roll, turned it into a back flip and landed in a one handed hand stand on top of the Possibles' mail box. A recovered Shego quickly sent a blast of plasma energy to explode Kim's perch. It was a little low and blasted Kim and mail box into the air. Kim used the opportunity to throw the mail box at Shego, who batted it aside.

"It's a little confronting," Anne said. "Seeing my little bubble butt fight, usual I don't see it until its on the news by which time Kim's already safe at home."

"Don't worry," Penny said.

"Oh I'm not worried," Anne said. "My Kimberly can kick Shego's ass from here to Disney land any day of the week. But I'm still her mother so I worry sometimes."  
"I feel like I should defend Shego now," Penny said. "But this fight she'll lose to Kim unless she exhausts herself first."

"Then I think we'll leave them to it," Anne suggested. "Come in I'll make some coffee and we can talk while the Brain Loaf is cooking."

"Brain loaf?"

* * *

It was half an hour later when Shego's arms dropped to her sides and her flames started to die. The also exhausted but still focused Kim stepped in and grabbed Shego by the shoulders and placed her leading foot behind the woman's legs. She attempted to perform the simple throw but found herself tumbling down after Shego. She landed on top of the older woman with a thud and then rolled off to side. They both laid there trying to catch their breathe and looked up into the night sky.

"Sorry," Kim gasped. "I know Iris was, is still important to you."

"Yeah," Shego replied. "She is."

"Tell me about her."

"Her full name was Iris Sistible," Shego said. "She was the one person outside of my family and global justice that knew I was Shego of team go. I couldn't keep something like that from the girl who had been my best friend since second grade."

"What was she like?"

"A lot like you," Shego said. "Except she was saving the world one food drive at a time instead of diverting lava flows or what have you. She also saved me by making sure I had some semblance of a normal life."

"Like Ron, Monique and the girls on the cheer squad do for me?"

"I guess so," Shego said. "Although I was more like her Ron, making sure she goofed off sometimes instead of burying herself with too many responsibilities. Then I failed her as a hero and a human being."

"It wasn't your fault."

"But it was, I was the one that took the skill tester device to her instead of aunt penny," Shego said. "I was the one to try the potential fix too soon, maybe we could have found a way if I waited? She still thanked me for saving her."

"Not your fault," Kim insisted. "But what do you mean failed her as a human being?"

"I didn't tell her that I loved her."

"I'm sure she knew."

"No she didn't know just how much I..."

"Oh oh I see," Kim said.

"I didn't tell her because not only was I afraid of rejection I was afraid she wouldn't want to even be my friend any more," Shego explained. "Which was unfair because Iris would never do that. I let my fear rule me and I lost my chance. I was too much of a coward to say anything as she lay dying in my arms."

"You must miss her a lot."

"Yeah," Shego said sadly. "I turned to theft and villainy soon after, easy to do as the media had already pinned the blame on me for the crimes Doctor Claw committed while possessing Iris. Definitely the straw the broke the camel's back for me."

"Try the whole damn bale Kermie girl," Penny said as she sat on the lawn somewhere past where Kim and Shego's heads rested.

"In the spirit of openness I should explain that Shego most likely took the device to Iris, who was quiet capable with electronic devices, to avoid having me obsess over it and forget not only my responsibilities but also that I have a wonderful spouse and two beautiful children that I love," Penny elaborated. "In fact it was Shego and Iris who flew the go jet all the way to Japan to pick up my wife for the intervention I desperately needed."

"Did you say wife?" Kim asked.

"My second point is once Shego told me what had happened to Iris I should have kept better track of the device. Thirdly my generation should have cleaned up the mess of the M.A.D. legacy long ago."

"Isn't that the fault of people like Jack Hench?" Shego asked

"Plenty of policy before and during the fall of the soviet union has made it hard to go after him," Penny sighed. "If GJ hadn't asked me nicely not to I would have had him dealt with long ago. After I made him pay for killing my dog."

"Jack Hench killed Brain?" Shego asked. "You never told me that."

"I had made peace with it by the time I was working at Go tower, but after the way he made you feel today, well I just might have to get the Junior Chief to reconsider GJ's position."

"Your dog was named Brain?" Kim asked.

"Oh that reminds me Mrs. Dr. Possible has served up some Brain loaf for the both of you," Penny said. "That's why I came out here in first place, I've never seen a frontal lobe so accurately depicted in any medium before."


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It was the next morning and Penny was enjoying breakfast in the company of Mr. Dr. Possible. Kim and Shego were still asleep and Wade had yet to call on any progress he had made with tracking the device. It was providing Penny ample opportunity to pick James Possible's brain about raising a teenage daughter.

"Well I guess a black hole has immediacy as the average person has some idea what it is," Penny said. "I usually have to explain how bad having all your electronic records cease to exist can be."

"Preferably," James continued. "It's no boys."

"Of course, Of course," Penny agreed. "But what if Kim was to bring a girl home?"

"Now that is a conundrum," he said. "Admittedly one of the big fears isn't really an issue in such a case. But there is still the possibility of sexual transmitted diseases and of course the greater issue of whether the girl could or would break Kimmie Cub's heart. It'll be the black hole speech for anyone that wants to court Kimberly. Tell me have you had one of you daughters bring a girl home when you were expecting a boy?"

"Once," Penny said. "The girl was a typical delinquent type to."

"And how did you deal with it?" James asked.

"The internet is your friend in those kind of situations," Penny said with a smile. "I found out the dear was just rebelling against her traditionalist family in the way she dressed and acted. She was still getting the best marks in school and participating in respectable after school activities. I did find out she was breaking one school rule."

"Which one?"

"The stupid policy about not working a part time job," Penny sighed. "That's the Japanese school system for you, good on the study ethic bad at life balance."

There was a scream of shock from upstairs.

"Shego's up," Penny practically smirked.

* * *

"Let go of me Princess," Shego said after she got over the shock of waking up not only in Kim's room but in the teen hero's bed.

"Huh what?" Kim said as she slowly woke up. "Shego why are you in my room? What have you done with Pandaroo?"

"Relax Kimmie," Shego said while point to the toy on the shelf she put it on. "The little mutant is safe. As to why I'm here I don't know. Last I remember I was drifting of to sleep in the guest room."

"Some how I think your Aunt Penny is responsible for this," Kim said.

"You can let go of me now," Shego growled.

"Not yet," Kim said. "Consider this hug as being from Iris, I'm sure she'd understand why you became a villain and I'm sure she's glad your making sure Skill Tester won't hurt anyone else."

"I should have done it right the first time," Shego snorted. "As for understanding my life of crime? There are so many things I should have done instead."

"You were hurting," Kim said. "No you are hurting I'm sure she understands, any way its not to late to quit and do something else."

With that Kim released Shego and slid out of bed.

"Something else huh?"

* * *

Several minutes later both Kim and Shego joined Penny and Mr. Dr. Possible at the breakfast table.

"Aunt Penny why did you move me to..?"Shego began.

"Yesterday was Friday," Penny explained. "I'm sure you didn't want to be disturbed during the night by that."

"Fair enough," both Kim and James were shocked by Shego's calm reaction. "You could have put me on the couch or something though."

"I must say Shego does seem remarkable calm about it," James commented.

"Ah well because I work and usual reside in the U.S. And my wife and family stay in Japan except for summer holidays," Penny explained. "It's a little hard to be intimate so we arrange a little long distance date when we know the kids won't interrupt."

"So it's not like I haven't heard Mom and Dad on the phone when one of them is away at the conference," Kim said.

"Aunt Penny's had video phone technology since 1980," Shego said. "She's had hologram technology since 1991, I walked in on them once, never again."

"We've almost cracked hard light," Penny said with a wide smile.

"Let me know when you do," James Possible said. "I can think of at least ten applications it could have for space exploration and my wife could probably think of twenty in the field of medicine."

"Wife?" Kim said to herself. "Is she using it because its shorter that life partners? I know that Australian marine Biologist I helped with that Whale pod called her girlfriend her Missus but she explained to me it was general slang for long term relationships."

"You should just quit your job at the university already," Shego snorted.

"Now Shego you know its the only civilian job I can show my whole resume to," Penny said. "Besides two points, one the entire internet would break down if any one else got at the network there and two Atsuko real digs the salary man thing almost as much as I dig the school gir..."

"To much information Aunt Penny," Shego said.

Kim looked over to her father who seemed to be counting down with his fingers. As he reached Zero Ron burst through the door. James just nodded and went back to reading the paper.

"Good Morning Kim, Morning Mr. Dr. P. Hello again Professor Gadget and the Rest."

"Bite me Sidekick."

"Who are you calling sidekick? Kim and I are partners," Ron retorted. "You're the sidekick."

"I'm an independent Mercanary on permanent contract unless I kill the boss for his stupidity."

The building argument was quickly interrupted by the Kimmunicator going off.

"What's the Sitch Wade?" Kim asked.

"I finally tracked Drakken down," he said. "Sorry it took so long but the teleportation device he used threw Hench's tracking signal off by a quantum phase variance of .7, that wouldn't have been too hard but he used the teleportation device 2 more times and variance was different after each one."

"Sorry," Shego said. "I taught him how to evade pursuit more effectively."

"No it's okay," Wade said. "I just wish he'd calibrate the teleporter better. As it's not a clone and destroy he could end up in an alternative dimension or worse send the entire planet into one."

"Let's just hope he doesn't use it again," Kim said. "Location and Ride?"

"He's in Japan," Wade said. "As for a ride some one who owed us a favour has some sway with a commercial airliner. Its not first class though by any means."

"But we don't have any lairs in Japan," Shego said. "Unless uh no..."

"What is it Shego?" Kim asked.

"DNAmy does have a lab there," Shego explained. "And it's above a Karaoke bar."


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The plane was nearing its destination and Kim, Shego and Wade were going over the plan.

"Okay," Kim said. "We know Drakken will be singing Karaoke every night, but what about Amy?"

"I'm going to say yes," Shego said. "But she'll have her own kind of cuddle buddies back at the lab."

"Not a problem," Kim said. "Ron and Penny can search for the device while we act as the distraction."

"If Drakken and Amy come back?"

"Wade map please," Kim said and Wade's image was replaced. "These are the exit points if a cuddle buddy overwhelms us or one of the scientists gets a lucky shot in. The real difficulty is the teleportation device escape route."

"Well I know Drakken only had the resources for one," Shego said.

"My intel confirms that," Wade confirmed.

"You said it wasn't a clone and destroy, what exactly does that mean?"

"Well there a three types," Wade said. "Clone and Destroy, the original is copied at a remote location and then destroyed so you don't have two of the same thing."

"I think I've read some Science Fiction like that in English class," Kim said.

"The second is quantum teleportation," Wade said. "Tricking the universe into thinking you should be there instead of here. Its dangerous enough even when correctly used and Drakken is the one using it."

"Almost as bad as whatever he plans to use the Skill Tester for," Kim sighed.

"The last is the holy grail," Shego said. "The one in Space Voyage were you just send the Atoms and molecules with out necessarily turning them into energy via line of site."

"Isn't that suppose to be a clone and destroy?" Kim asked.

"No No No Kimmie," Shego said. "It's plainly spelled out in the subsequent iteration tech manual. The atoms that are demateralized are the exact same ones the rematerilize, that's why they need the confinement beam, so they don't float away. Then the Schrodinger enforcer is to make sure they stay in the same place despite being observed. Believe me I know these things."

"Shego," Wade asked. "Are you foreverherslavegirl96?"

"How do you know that screen name?"

"I'm Letscelebratecaptainrenoday."

"But you would have been what 4?"

"Three and 8 months when I joined the forums."

"You were still smarter than that idiot I fought with about this issue."

"You know I still have that picture you posted when you came back for a few months last year."

"Don't show that to anyone Nerdlinger," Shego threatened.

"Don't worry you deleted it and I made sure no one not a member of the site was able to keep a copy."

"You mean this picture," Penny said as she dropped her computer book in Kim's lap. Displayed on the screen was a woman dressed as a Siriuan slave girl. The face was obscured by a veil but the eyes were definitely Shego's.

"How did you get that Aunt Penny?" Shego asked upset that Kim had now seen it.

"I'm Doulinear Chippette on the forums."

"I think I'm going to hurl," Shego said. "Because I read that role-play in the adult's only section and I think I know the other participant in it now."

"Oh come on that is not as embarrassing as the time you walked in on Friday fun night or that wonderful summer were you kept catching Atsuko and I when we we're suppose to be upgrading the go jet."

"Not in front of my Archnemises Aunt Penny?" Shego pleaded. "Please?"

"This is so Awkweirded," Kim said as she tried to turn her attention back to Wade. "Do we have a way to neutralise the device?"

"I think I've found a weak spot in the components," Wade said. "But I don't have a way to break or remove it with out physically accessing the device."

"Which component?" Penny asked Wade.

"The switch itself."

"I can handle it."

"Attention Passengers," came the head flight attendant's voice of the cabin's PA. "We are beginning our final descent and will be making a final rubbish collection in a few short moments. We advise you at this time to please turn off any electronic devices as they may interfere with the Aircraft During landing."

"Gotta go Wade," Kim said.

"See you later Kim," Wade said as the Kimmunicator's screen went blank. Penny closed her computer book as apparently that was all that was required for it to shut down. Rufus assisted the flight attendant with Ron's accumulated snack food packets and then made sure the sleeping teen's chair was in the upright position.

* * *

On the ground a seeming eternity later Kim and Ron were waiting to show the Japanese immigration and customs officials their special travel permit that allowed them access into any country signed up to the UN's Kim Possible agreement. It was a unique experience having to do so before the fact as usually they just parachuted in and filed the paperwork later.

"Well I'll see you both later," Penny said as the line moved them closer to the official.

"Where are you going Professor Gadget?" Ron asked.

"I have never once entered a country legally while working," Penny explained as she disappeared. "I'm not about to start now."

"Don't worry about her Kimmie," Shego said. "I better disappear to, in case GJ hasn't got the word around that I'm working for them."

"And it doesn't have anything to do the armour you stole from the imperial family and incorporated into a certain costume?"

"Good to see at least someone noticed the trouble I went to," Shego said with a smirk. "I promise I'm giving it back as soon as the next go city con is over, and it's not like the Imperial family was using it anyway."

"Shego it's 460 years old!"

"Actually it's 670 years old it's been 460 years since they used it," Shego said. "See at least I'm putting it to use, later Kimmie."

Shego did that annoying thing were she disappeared with out seeming to move anywhere. Kim thought see could she a nearby air vent jostle as it was put back into place.

"It's for the best Kim," Ron said. "You remember that imported game Felix lent me so I could work on my Japanese?"

"Yeah the one about the defense lawyer right."

"Turns out it's a pretty accurate portrayal of the Japanese legal system."

Kim considered the almost guilty until proven innocent mindset and the focus on dishing out punishment the game seemed to have when Ron had described it to her.

"I hope neither of them get caught," Kim said in a worried tone.

* * *

The teen heroes were unable to avoid the media who had managed to gather despite their entry into the country being as stream lined as possible. Kim explained to the gathered journalists that yes she was on a mission but she couldn't go into details. She also apologised for not attempting to say a few words in the language of the country but believed it was probably best everyone was saved the embarrassment. When Ron was asked for some comment he managed to ask for directions to the nearest Vendor of Ramen Noddles in perfect Japanese. Wade had managed to secure a ride from the Airport to the location of Draken's lair. This time the it was from someone who owed Ron a favour.

"Thanks for the ride Kobayashi-san," Ron said.

"It was the least I could do after you helped my children with their english on our holiday to America," he said.

"Hey it was a great way to spend the flight back," Ron said. "I just hope my slang terms didn't cause any trouble."

"Not at all," Kobayashi replied. "They took your advice and kept everything simple, until we got to Florida and then my daughter was in her element talking shop with the NASA scientists and my son was asking beauty tips from the Princesses at Disney world. Which reminds me Possible-san is it too much to ask for two copies of your Autograph?"

"Not at all," Kim said.

* * *

"What took you so long?" Penny asked as Kim and Ron got out of the car. She was leaning against the a wall on the other side of the street next to a bicycle that had a helmet hanging off the handlebars.

"Really?' Ron asked. "But we're like forty-five minutes from the airport by car."

"Go go gadget cycle auto return," Penny said with a smirk.

Two tiny jet engines popped out of the frame at the rear wheel and the Bicycle speed of without a rider. It turned the corner and disappeared.

"You're late Shego," Penny said as the thief casually walked up to them.

"Well sorry for taking time to explain to a woman why it wasn't cool to fondle teenage boys on public transport," Shego said. "God I hate taking the train here."

The Kimmunicator beeped and Kim answered it.

"What's the sitch Wade?"

"Amy and Drakken are currently singing very badly," he said as the screen on the Kimmunicator and the computer book switched to a surveillance feed of the Karaoke place. "I've unlocked everything on the way to the lab for you. The lab itself is still secured but you do have the world's best thief with you."

"Aww thanks Nerdlinger."

A few short moments later Shego was indeed picking the lock to the lab. In this case it meant shorting the circuit board with a find tuned plasma torch emanating from her finger. The door popped open. Kim threw in a small smoke bomb and when it went off it revealed the presence of a laser detection grid. One that Kim quite easily leapt through to the shut off panel. Once all the security was nuertalized Penny, Ron and Shego all came in.

"Right no cuddle buddies so far," Kim said. "Perhaps Shego and I should search as well?"

"The faster we find it the better Princess," Shego agreed.

* * *

They had all been searching for close to an hour when Amy and Drakken came back to the lab. Wade had been trying to warn them unfortunately they didn't know they had been out of communication since entering the lab due to the advance jamming field.

"Well looks like Drewbie was right," DNAmy said. "You know what to do Maurice."

The holographic Drakken disguise dropped to reveal a creature that could only be described as and Octorilla. The creature was gorilla sized and indeed had the small shaped head and the black fur, but every limb was a tentacle, in fact at both shoulder there was two tentacles instead of one arm. Maurice as the creature was of course known quickly knocked out Penny and Ron with quick thumps to he head. A tentacle snaked around Shego and squeezed her tight. She tried to activate her plasma powers but couldn't concentrate due to shortness of breath. Kim had managed to dodge out of the way of the tentacle sent after her. However Maurice struck upon the idea of hitting Kim with the captured Shego. He feinted with a free tentacle and Kim thought it might be an opening. However he then hit her in the back of the head with Shego who had been unable to call a warning due to a lack of air. Both women where knocked out.

"Good boy Maurice," DNAmy said. "Come give mommy a hug you big cuddle pie."

The octorilla lumbered over and hugged its creator with several tentacles. The hug was returned by DNAmy.

"Now pick them up and we'll take them to Drewbie."


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Shego was the first to regain conciousness.

"Ah the traitor is awake," Draken said. "How dare you side with Possible when I'm this close to world domination!?"

"I'm not betraying you Dr. D," Shego said as she tested the bonds that held her to the wall. "I'm saving you from yourself, one of the items we picked up recently, I don't want to lose another friend to it."

"A likely story," Darken said. "No doubt devised by Possible herself."

"You know I should be the one calling out the traitor here," Shego said. "You're the one that teleported away letting me be captured by the good guys."

"I was going to come back for you honest."

"Yeah right Dr. D," Shego said. "I thought we were an evil family."

"We are," Draken replied. "In fact I might even forgive if you share just why you're with Possible, did she find a way to pay you more than me? Is Possible considering a turn to more moral ambiguous deeds? Or maybe its love?"

"Don't be stupid Doc," Shego said. "I know that's hard but this has nothing to do with Princess."

"Then what's with all the pet names?"

"Damn it Doc the thing we took when Kim first showed up this time it killed my best friend."

"I thought I was your best friend."

"At the moment yes," Shego said. "I don't want to lose your annoying butt as well."

Suddenly Doctor D grew concerned.

"What exactly did it do?"

"It overwrote her brain with the personality of a super villain that makes Dementor look like a pixie scout," Shego explain. "I was actually able to bring her back from that but not before it had destroyed the basic functions, and yet she's the one who said sorry to me as she died."

"Thank you for the concern Shego," Draken said. "But I assure you there is no danger of that happening to me. You see I have completed my device."

He pulled one of his patented revealing sheets of the nearby work bench.

"The personal assistant of electronic accuracy," he exclaimed. "Or Patrica for short."

"Seriously Doctor D?!" Shego asked. "We stole all that stuff to build a robot Gofer with 80's shoulder pads."

"Shego having Patrica get coffee and handle my dry cleaning is merely a bonus," the doctor explained. "The true genius is having a mobile AI that actually understands my plans and can actually fix the flaws in them for me. An AI that should be unhackable due to being built from so called obsolete parts."

"Oh no," Kim Possible said unable to hide the fact that she had woken up any longer. "You can't use the project skill tester device as the core of the neural lattice!"

"I can and I will Kim Possible," Draken said as he waved the skill tester device around. "In fact if this is the component your talking about I was just about to install it."

"Don't! it isn't blank!" Kim yelled.

"Doctor D for the love of...please don't point the emitters at your face," Shego tried.

"Ah yes of course," the blue scientist said. "Of course I know the correct way to install it."

He spun the device around several times, Shego flinched ever time every time the emitter was pointed in her direction. Eventually Draken did figure out which way was which and he jammed the device into the android he had created.

"Please don't work, Please don't work, Please don't work," Shego said over and over again. "Please Iris if you can...I know you thought once you were in the next life all you could do was observe but please even if you were right, please break the rules just this once for me."

Shego was terrified and wasn't thinking straight. That was until the sight of Kim Possible knocking Drakken out with a single strike shocked her into paying attention.

"Come on Shego," Kim said. "The shackles my be you prove, but the wall sure as hell isn't!"

"Dammit Kimmie," she seethed as she turned her hand and blasted the wall with her plasma, a variation that had the most kinetic impact. As it exploded into rubble she launched herself at Drakken's shiny new robot. She was about to bring down her fist of flaming green fury down on its head when the constructs eyes began to glow. It casually swatted Shego aside, sending her flying into Maurice and DNAmy as the came in the door carrying, apparently carrying snacks for some kind of android activation party. Kim was worried about Shego but at least she didn't have to be concerned about adding the cuddle buddy to her list of opponents.

The robot turned its attention to her. She deftly back flipped away from a clumsy punch only to be caught mid air by taser wires that had shot out after her. She continued through the flip but instead of the usual perfect landing she hit the ground hard as the electric shocks jolted through her. She managed to retain conciousness but the fight was over. Luckily the robot seemed confused and didn't seem concerned with Kim or Shego once they weren't a threat. Then it spoke in the most scratchy, untuned electronic voice in the most malevolent tone it could muster.

"Gadget..." it screeched. "This time...this time...this time Gadget."

It made its way out past were Shego had landed.

"This time you won't stand in the way," the robot rasped. "This time the world will be mine."

And Kim finally understood why Shego was terrified and why Penny Gadget was concerned. It was not a threat but a statement of fact.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Kim are you okay?" Ron asked as he came out of hiding.

"Just a little sore," she replied from were she was lying on the floor.

"I got Rufus to go tear up any wires he can find," Ron said. "But obviously the Robot wasn't connected to any kind of self destruct or anything."

"You made the right call Ron," Kim sighed. "Perhaps he'll find something while doing that. Can you go check on Shego for me? I'm just going to lay here a bit longer."

"Okay," he said. "Your sure she won't blast me when she wakes up?"

"Ron even if she wanted to I don't think she can right now," Kim said. "She took a big hit."

"Okay."

Kim sighed the hit wasn't just physical. After a set back like this she didn't know how Shego would react. Her Kimmunicator beeped at her. Kim managed to lift it up to speak to Wade.

"Hey," she said. "The sitch is, well normally I don't use the kind of words needed to describe it."

"Sorry Kim," he said. "Drakken had a new Jamming Tech. I'm still working on subverting it."

"Guess Rufus bought it down then," she said. "Are you still able to track the device?"

He nodded.

"It should be easier now that it's in a …?"

"Android," she said. "Try to find out if it has bebe style abilities please? And get Global Justice to pick up Draken and DNAmy, make sure they have a vet, Amy will be more co-operative if her cuddle buddy gets taken care of."

"I'm on it Kim."

"You rock Wade."

"Why do I feel like commander Worg ever time they introduce a new villain to the show?" Shego asked as Ron helped her up she noticed someone was absent. "Where's Aunt Penny?"

"Rufus is looking for her now," Ron explained. "She wasn't with us in the shackles."

"I keep telling Doctor D he has to catch the rat but does he ever listen," Shego grumbled. "Let me guess he used the laser lipstick on Kim and then you?"

"Well me first and by the time he got to Kim he only had to get one shackle," he explained. "I didn't even know she kept a lock pick hidden in her hair."

Rufus came scampering over from the far side of the lab and chitterred something like trouble.

"Lead on little buddy," he said. Shego decided to check on Kim.

"Up and at them Cupcake," she said as she extended her hand.

"You okay?" Kim asked.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"Shego it sounded like..." Kim started.

"No, no its not like...last time," Shego tried. "Drakken has trapped it, it can't get into any ones head now, can it?"

"Kim! Shego! Help!"

Shego and Kim rushed over as fast as their bruised bodies could carry them. They found a trussed and gagged Penny thrashing violently on the floor. Ron was holding his eye obviously he had been hit at some point.

"What happened?" Kim asked.

"I don't know," he said. "Rufus found her like this in that crate over there, she seemed calm enough but then I lifted her out and she went like this."

Shego placed a hand on Ron's shoulder.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "It's her issue not yours. But with that being said I need to ask you and Rufus to leave the room, what I have to do is very private and I'm not looking forward to it."

"I should go to," Kim said.

"No Kim," Shego said. "I'm going to need your help to get this done as fast as possible."

The green woman crouched down and unzipped her ankle pouch. She pulled out a simple cell phone and dialled a number. Kim could hear enthusiastic Japanese coming from the other end.

"Can you speak English please Aunt Atsuko?" Shego grumped.

More babbling from the other end.

"Yes Aunt Penny is in a bit of a bind," Shego said. "Stop making puns about it, I'm going to put you on speaker."

"Calm down my love," the voice came through clear, concise and delectably feminine. "I claim owner ship of the bonds you are currently ensnared in. You know what that means don't you?"

Kim saw Penny nod.

"That's right you are safe and you are loved. You cannot be hurt by my ropes, my chains, my shackles as they are physical manifestations of the greater binding of our shared love. Now you will allow my lovely green assistant to remove your gag."

Shego moved forward and undid the gag.

"Now explain yourself my love," the voice said.

"It was an old student of mine she recognised me," Penny said. "Doreen Nora Amy, saw me rip apart that rich kid who thought he was gods gift to women and then using the family fortune to tread all over them when they realised he wasn't. She knew to take my book away, she knew to gag me in case I got into her head."

"That explains who and how and the why of the binding," the voice said. "It does not explain the reaction. You know all binds but mine are false, you and I have learnt how to escape the false binds together."

"Atsuko its..."

"That is not my name at the moment oh loveliest of mortals."

"Forgiveness please oh goddess of the true binding called love," Penny said.

"For you always," the voice on the phone said. "But what has upset you so?"

"Claw."

The single word caused the voice to be silent for a moment but only a moment.

"I will be there right away," she said. "Now allow my other assistant to cut through your bindings, don't worry my Green assistant shall find your book."

"I've already spotted it," Shego said.

"I feel less naked now," Penny mumbled. "I love you Atsuko."

"I love you Penny," the voice said. "I'll be there soon."


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The metal thing moved through the night, it knew Drew Lipsky yet it did not. Drew Lipsky was a high school student with an aptitude for robotics and genetics, easily swayed by petty slights against him. A prime candidate for recruitment to MAD. Yet it also knew he was now called Drakken and that he was the blue man on the floor in the place the thing had left. Information it need information. Another set of dual memories. Jack Hench, ruthless, the man had killed a young girls pet in right in front of the child. There was no choice but to promote him to the corporate division were that kind of ruthlessness could be put to use. The other memory, continuing the work in the things absence. It was time to reclaim that part of the organisation from Hench. For the thing knew one thing above all else, although it no longer had the weak flesh and blood body, it knew who it was. It was Doctor Claw.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 

Doctor Director sighed as she looked at the note from Shego. So many missteps when GJ had taken an interest in her training. At least this whole fiasco had allowed Shego to reconnect with the most positive influence the green woman had had during her teen years. The note was proof of that.

Dear Betts, gone for a sleep over at my aunties don't wait up, hugs and kisses Shego. She remembered an old joke about this been a standard form. What wasn't standard was the post script saying to call Kim after Drakken and DNAmy had been interrogated.

Doctor Director pocketed the note as she reached the interrogation rooms in GJ's Japanese offices. Will Du's interview with DNAmy was going smoothly. Making sure Maurice the Octorilla was tended to helped as did the fact the mad scientist was a bit sweet on agent Du. However the information did not offer anything other than the specifics of DNAmy's involvement. They did however obtain some information they were able to share with the self defence force's g unit.

Drakken's interrogation was going less smoothly. It seems that the scientist had been watching a lot of bad crime shows and movies lately.

"I didn't do nothing, you can't prove I did it," he said. "And I wasn't even there."

While he was reducing Agent Dunnit to tears Betty realised she had him. She slipped into the room and whispered to her agent.

"Ida go grab a coffee," she said. "I've got this."

"Ah Dr. Director I'm glad to see I attract GJs full attention."

"You maintain you have nothing to do with the events that happened earlier this evening?"

"Yes."

"Then the Robot must clearly be the work of Doctor Dementor," she said. "Thank you Mr. Lipsky."

"Dementor, Dementor," he scowled. "He couldn't even comprehend a work of such genius."

Betty smirked, she had him. But as she let him rant on and on her Victory soured as she learnt just what Drakken's latest invention might be capable of.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Kim sat quietly in the kitchen of the rural Japanese home trying not to over hear the murmured conversation from the next room. She looked across at Shego who was sitting on the opposite side of the table. The older woman betrayed no sense of the awkwardness, indeed the awkweirdness she must be feeling. Kim envied Ron who was at the Kitchen bench preparing a meal. Kim didn't know why he was doing that seen as the Japanese woman, apparently Atsuko, who had picked them up in a small hatchback hadn't said a word to them except to ask them to wait in the kitchen.

The silence was stifling. Kim tried to think of anything to say that would start a conversation that would take her mind off what she had seen and heard earlier. _So Shego seen any good movies lately? So Shego which European resorts have the best masseuses? So Ron what are doing? You and Felix got any plans for the next long weekend?_ It all sounded so stupid even in her head. But it was better than asking _Will something like that happen to me one day? Will I end up like Penny? Or Worse like...?_ She realised she was staring at Shego and quickly averted her gaze. No reason to make the situation even more awkward.

Kim heard the kitchen door slide open and then shut.

"Where's Aunt Penny?" Shego asked.

"Sleeping my little Kero-chan," the beautiful Japanese woman replied.

"Aunty Atsuko!"

"Sorry Shego but your Aunt Penny told me to embarrass you for getting captured so easily."

"Hey I got captured quickly to," Kim said. "Its not Shego's fault DNAmy got the jump on us."

"Ah," the woman said. "I can see why you like her Shego."

"What?!" both Shego and Kim yelled at the same time.

"Sorry I am just teasing," she said. "Sorry I haven't introduced myself I am Penny's wife, Atsuko, welcome to our home."

"Thank you for having us," Kim said. "And sorry for the intrusion."

"Oh its no trouble."

"I meant..." continued Kim. "Earlier."

"Oh," Atsuko said. "Don't worry about it. You, me, Penny and even Shego have been in similar situations to be sure. She won't mind you seeing that."

"I thought you and Aunt Penny went to therapy to help her with that?" Shego asked.

"We are still going to therapy to help her with that," Atsuko replied. "Its not an easy thing to live with."

"But..."

"Imagine if one of your old super villains took out your brothers while he had you at his mercy."

"But Brain was a Dog..."

Kim had been following the conversation.

"Ron would be devastated if Rufus was..." she trailed of. "So would I, I would be devastated if something happened to Rufus and we couldn't help him because we were caught in a death trap."

"I wouldn't care," Shego snorted.

Liar Kim thought to herself.

"So you say you and Professor Gadget are married?" Ron asked finally turning his attention away from his food preparation. "Is it like official or just a convenient way to say what your relationship is?"

"Official," Atsuko said. "At least here and in several countries in the Commonwealth of Nations. Penny worked very hard to make sure it could be official before she proposed and when governments and royalty owe their existence to you well you can make things happen."

"It helps when they have long term plans on Marriage Equality you can help them with," Shego snorted.

The Kimmunicator beeped.

"What's the sitch Wade?" Kim asked.

"I'm patching Dr. Director in," he said.

"Thank you Mr. Load," Betty said as she appeared on the split-screen. "We have managed to get a complete list of all the parts Drakken used in creating his android."

"Gynoid," Atsuko muttered. "From the description Penny gave its a gynoid."

Dr. Director ignored her and continued.

"While I do not know what all these components do I am familiar with these two items," she said as Wade put some schematics on the screen. "The Emitter Y.E. Was designed as a possible ocular sensor for submersibles. It was abandoned when they realised that under certain circumstances it could cause neurological damage in sea life. One of my first arrests in this job was a minor villain trying to use these in brain washing."

"And that's important because?" Kim asked.

"Our top analysts believe they could be adapted to transmit copies of the Data on the Skill tester device."

Kim heard Shego get up and ran from the room. She immediately put down the Kimmunicator and made to go after her. Atsuko stopped her.

"She'll be back."

"Will she be alright?" Kim asked.

"Shego's probably the scariest thing out there right now," Ron offered.

"That's not what I'm talking about."

Atsuko got up and went a drew Kim into a hug.

"Thank you for looking out for Shego even though she is usually your enemy," Atsuko said. "But your sidekick is right she is the scariest thing out there right now, you could get hurt if you go after her."

"I can't just do nothing."

"Then help me," Atsuko said. "I believe Stoppabe-san is finished cooking we can go over the specs of the gynoid while we eat. My wife would be the first to tell you I was always better at hardware than she was."


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Shego came back well into the next day.

"Are you feeling okay?" Kim asked as her rival plopped into the chair on the other side of the table.

"No," Kim nodded at the reply.

"I'm sad to say we've only made minimal progress while you were out."

"Welcome back Shego," Atsuko said as she entered the room. "Sorry it took me a while to find the information on those last few components."

Penny came in behind her and cuddle into her wife's back.

"I kept distracting her," Penny explained.

"The good kind of distracting," Atsuko hinted.

"Too much information," Shego complained.

Kim could see that Shego was trying not to cry. It got her thinking that maybe Shego's relationship with Iris may have gone in a similar direction with time.

"Okay so those final two pieces," Atsuko said. "One was a Taser."

"Been on the receiving end of that already," Kim complained.

"The other was an old portable pc," Atsuko continued.

"Wait," Shego thought out loud. "He didn't did he, oh he would have."

"What Shego?" Kim asked.

"The damn thing knows everything Drakken knows about the current state of the villain community," Shego explained. "He kept that PC in his mother's basement so it wouldn't get blown up any time you came calling princess."

"I thought you all used the in-terror net or those e-phones Hench makes?" Ron asked.

"Dr. D. always claimed it would be too much work to copy over the information," Shego explained. "Seen as he'd have to do it manually not being compatible with anything built after 1986."

"Wade," Kim said into her kimmunicator. "I think we have a weak point."

"So you thinking Drakken got the idea of an incompatible Android from this?" he asked.

"Exactly," Kim said considering Drakken's thought processes. "And with a memory bank already created he didn't think to consider that the PC itself might have weakness when assessed by itself."

"I'd appreciate your input Professor gadget," Wade said.

"Sorry I'm more of a super computer girl," she said as she closed her computer book. "But I did e-mail you a list of names just now."

"I've got it," Wade said. "I'll get back to you all."

His imaged winked out and Kim put her kimmunicator away.

"Way to think like the villain Kim, booyah!" Ron offered.

"Thanks Ron," Kim said. "Penny you're our expert on claw and mad, what happens now?"

"Consolidation of a power base, gathering of resources," Penny explained. "I give us a maximum of two weeks before claw puts together a plot to gain more power. Probably some kind of semilegitmate political power, especially if our target realises my uncle isn't around at the moment."

"Won't he come after you?" Kim asked.

"No the brain scan was done before she realised my role in taking down her organisation," Penny explained. "I may be targeted for hostage purposes though if claw believes uncle gadget is still a threat."

"Shego your insights?" Kim asked.

"Aunt Penny is right," Shego said. "Consolidation of a power base and resources was the first thing it did when it took over Iris. You still can't go by that soup kitchen in east go city without being shaken down. It worked with her knowledge of the town her haunts and hangouts. I have a feeling that's why team go wasn't attacked, Iris always thought too much of us thus it perceived us a bigger threat than we actual were."

"Ah guys," Ron said. "It knows Hench has most of its old stuff right?"

"You have a point buffoon?" said the still irate Shego.

"Well its just that why establish your own power base when you can steal one?" Ron said. "Heck is it even stealing if it was Doctor Claw's in the first place?"

"Ron's right," Shego said. "It's what I would do."

There came a call from the door way announcing the persons home coming. Penny got a big grin on her mouth, Atsuko just nodded and her blonde wife rushed off. Shego just shrugged so Kim decided to continue the discussion.

"So where are the nearest Hench Co offices?" Kim asked. "There are some here in Japan right."

"You think I'd let the dog killer anywhere near my wife," Atsuko said outraged. "He's tried to buy property here but so far I have made sure he is unsuccessful and he shall continue to be so. I swear one day he will be forced to give up his United States operations as well."

"China or somewhere in south east Asia," Shego said. "I'm not sure where because I've never worked for him."

"We'll put GJ to work then," Kim said.

Penny returned with a teenage girl in tow. A young Japanese woman who was familiar to both Ron and Kim.

"Yori!" Ron yelled and quickly got to his feet to bow to her.

"Hello Yori," Kim said politely still unsure why the other teenager rubbed her the wrong way.

"See I told you it was an even better surprise than my visiting!" Penny exclaimed happily.

Yori's eyes fell on Shego.

"Thank you for the present you sent on my birthday Shego," Yori said with a smile.

"Wow no honorific," Shego couldn't help but comment. "You'll be a no good slacker like me in no time."

Ron couldn't help stare with a slack jawed expression of shock.

"What is the matter Ron-san?" Yori asked. "I have known Shego a long time it is not that uncommon to forgo formalities among friends and family."

"But Yori Sempai," Ron complained. "She's usually evil!"

"Not at all," Yori said. "Lost her path yes, but some one who cheered me up after chaperoning my disastrous first date cannot be evil."

"But the burning, the fighting, the stealing."

"Ask yourself this Ron, would Kim trust her with whatever mission you are on if Shego was truly evil?" Yori asked. "I must admit I am not to sure about my mothers though, as both are untrustworthy."

"Hey show some respect eldest daughter," Penny griped.

"I am only showing you the same respect you do me," Yori said.

"Yori you know your mother and I are inclined to worry about you when you are sent or particular missions," Atsuko explained.

"But I'm..."

"Yes, Yes a fully trained ninja," Penny interrupted. "Listen I'm sorry about the spy-bot but would you try to call us more often?"

"You worry too much."

"Until the day I die," Penny stated with Atsuko nodding in agreement..

"This is weird," Ron said.

"Ron-san is used to me being more formal."

Shego got a strange look on her face and grabbed both Kim and Yori by the arms.

"Going up to Yori's room for girl talk," she yelled back as they disappeared.

"Wha..?" Ron said.

"Don't worry about it," Penny said. "We should take a break anyway and I just know there is something my wife has been dying to show you for the last five minutes."

"Baby pictures?" Ron guessed.

"We adopted Yori when she was almost two," Atsuko said as she pulled out a photo album. "We'll have to make do with every embarrassing moment after that!"


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Okay," Shego said as she closed the door behind her. "How long have you been crushing on Ron Stoppable Yori?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Yori insisted. "Besides even if I did like Ron-san in that way there is no way I can compete with Possible-san."

"Ron and I aren't like that Yori," Kim said. "But if there is any truth to what Shego said you should probably tell Ron, he's a bit oblivious when it comes to these matters."

"Right the other cheerleader who was crushing on him," Shego said.

"Tara yeah," Kim said. "If he could see past his dislike of blondes they would have been a cute couple."

"There you go Yori," Shego said. "You've got a chance you should take it."

"Even if I did feel that way about Ron he is probably only months away from realising he might be the only person on earth worthy Kim Possible's time," Yori sighed. "And I'm not hearing he dislikes Red heads."

"Ron and me!?" Kim said. "No way, he doesn't even trigger the no boys rule, he's never been on the receiving end of the black hole speech."

"Is it similar to my Mom's complete erasure speech?" Yori asked.

"Think more painful," Shego suggested.

"More like mamma's threat," Yori said nodding.

"What?" Kim asked.

"It involves actual lasers when delivered to my prospective dates."

"What do you see in Ron anyway?" Shego asked as she held up her hand. "I know the whole loyal friend and all around nice guy part, but if he was older and I swung that way it wouldn't be enough."

"Well if I did have these feelings for Ron," Yori said. "And I'm not saying I do it would be because of his determination to better himself while not letting it compromise everything he holds dear."

"We are talking about Ron right?" Kim asked.

"Also I like his sense of humour," Yori said. "Even if its a little too American for me to understand sometimes."

"You're crazy Yori," Shego said. "So how's school? Your little sister being e-mailing you like she promised?"

* * *

Meanwhile in the living area Ron was being grilled.

"How long have you know our little Yori?" Penny asked.

"About a year."

"How did you two meet?" Atsuko asked.

"I went to Yammanuchi as an exchange student in order for Master Sensei to teach me about the Monkey Kung Fu I got by accident."

"How are your grades?" Atsuko asked.

"Mediocre," Ron admitted.

"Are you applying for colleges yet?" Penny asked.

"I'll probably go to cooking school or something," Ron said. "Although if I do end up at college I'd probably follow Kim and pay my own way."

"And how would you do that?" Atsuko asked.

"Naco royalties," Ron said with a nod.

Atsuko looked at Penny and Penny just shrugged her shoulders.

"So is my daughter really as happy at Ninja School as she lets on?" Penny asked.

"Honestly I don't know," Ron said. "Yori's pretty reserved but every one respects her and if you are unable to best honourable lunch lady she'll share her meal with you. She's pretty cool."

Penny and Atsuko nodded at each other.

"We can see why you are Yori's friend," Penny said. "But she is our little girl and if you ever do anything to hurt her, we can make life very difficult for you."

"Penny is the greatest hacker alive," Atsuko said. "She can destroy you."

"Not just destroy you," Penny said. "Wipe you from existence, your naco royalties gone, your school records gone, your birth certificate gone."

"But hard copy back ups..." Ron gulped.

"Hacking is more than just computers," Penny said. "It's subverting systems, making them work for you. You really think I can't get into physical systems as easily as electronic ones? I have a book that can open a locked door from across the room."

"But."

"Now I'm sure Wade as explained what a lack of Identity can do to your prospects, Imagine what it could to to your mind."

"Well said Penny," Atsuko said. "But may I add this."

She pointed her ring finger at a piece of artwork hanging on the wall. A laser shot out of her engagement ring and vaporised it.

"That was a thousand years old," Atsuko said. "I would not hesitate to use this on you if my daughter says I have reason to."

It was a little to much for Ron who fainted.

"Thousand years old?" Penny said. "I thought that was the one from the alternate dimension you visited last winter?"

"Oh no," Atsuko said. "This was one I commission from an artist when g force was allowed to use time travel to verify various historical creature sightings."

"So," Penny said. "What do we actually think of Mr. Stoppable?"

"I would have no objection to Yori pursuing him."

"I suppose she could do a lot worse," Penny said. "Personally I don't really see why she's attracted to him."

"You know Yori has always taken after me," Atsuko admonished as she pulled her wife into an embrace. "We find blondes irresistible."

How else could Penny reply but with a kiss.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"So because she respects Ron's determination we have been unable to get her to answer to anything but honourable lunch lady since," Yori finished her story about Ron's time at Ninja school.

"Hunger has always been a good motivator for him," Kim was interrupted by her Kimmuincator. "What's the Sitch Wade?"

"Found the closest Hench Co facility," he said. "But we have problems, patching in Doctor Director."

"Its in Mini-Mynaram," the head of GJ began without preamble.

"Well Damn," Kim said.

"Global Justice will not be able to provide back up or transportation due to the current political climate."  
"Why not?" Ron asked.

"Basically if GJ wants to maintain funding and other support from the surrounding nations that area is off limits," Kim explained. "Doctor Director even begged me personally to not accept a mission to retrieve a kidnapping victim from there once."

"Thankfully the kidnap victim was able to free themselves," Doctor Director explained. "And make their way to a place GJ actually has jurisdiction."

"Those three hours of getting make up prosthesis applied was worth it," Kim said quietly to herself.

"What was that Kimmie?" Shego asked.

"Nothing," Kim sad. "I would assume Doctor Director that due to my association with Global Justice you would like me to take a back seat."

"Yes but you are not with out your own resources," Doctor Director said. "Use them, meanwhile we'll increase the pressure on Hench co around the rest of the world. If we can't go after the claw-bot directly we will deny it any resources we can."

"Okay so what's the plan Kim?" Shego asked as Wade's face came back onto the kimmunicator.

Kim considered for a moment.

"Step 1. Make sure it can't contact the rest of Hench Co," Kim said.

"On it," Wade said. "Just give the word and anything with a net connection will stop working for up to twenty miles into the neighbouring countries."

"Step 2," Kim said. "Shego applies for a cushy new Hench Co job in person without Jack Hench finding out about it."

"Can we hire Yori's services as back up?" Shego asked.

"Sorry Shego," Yori said. "Due to the Nature of Yammnuchi's exsistance I cannot step on the toes of any black marketeers."

"I know, I know," Shego said. "Don't burn bridges you need to bribe later."

"Wade ride?"

"Already on it."

"We'll get Ron and Professor Gadget and figure out the rest of the plan on the way."

* * *

Meanwhile thousands of rounds of ammunition were being expended as panicked mercenaries responded to the unknown. In this case trying to shot the threat was probably justified, as it was the mechanical menace of the reborn doctor claw. As it approached the soldiers of fortune it kept broadcasting the same message through all forms of communication available to it. "Join MAD and profit," the message continued. "The only other option is death."

* * *

Kim was worried, they were already behind after the Professor's little freak out in Japan, and while Wade had secured a several rides they hadn't been the best in terms of speed. First had been the cargo ship from Japan to Vietnam, then the European Backpackers with the van that smelled slightly of suspect substances. And finally to walk into the lawless region GJ had asked her never to visit.

"Don't get frustrated Princess," Shego's voice came over the kimmunicator. "We'll catch up to it sooner or later."

"I thought you'd be more frustrated than I feel right now?" Kim half asked as she shifted to get more comfortable under the camouflage netting the group had set up on a ridge overlooking the Hench Co. facility.

"A little hero type advice for you Kimmie," Shego said. "Don't rush in when you only have a half a plan."

"But..."  
"I'm not talk about going against guys like Drakken," Shego explained. "I rushed in on this once and I got my best friend dead."

"We'll find some way to deal with it permanently," Kim said. "Besides this time you can actually hit it."

"This is true," Shego said a smile in her voice. "Is Aunt Penny in position?"

Ron tugged on Kim's sleeve and gestured to a guard with blonde hair that seemed to have replaced the previous one mid patrol.

"She's in position," Kim said. "Radio silence unless you see the claw bot."

"Yeah Yeah."

"Do you think it's still here?" Ron asked.

"I hope so," Kim said. "I'm looking forward to the things Shego said she was going to do to its limbs."


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Shego sauntered casually and confidently up to the wooden building that was labelled as recruiting office in many languages. Many of the mercenaries took wary note of her, many who knew of her made themselves scarce in short order. Shego smirked, it was time to be the best bad girl she could be. She knocked once, she knocked twice and then she blew the door off it hinges.

"Yo," she called. "Doctor D's finally gone off the deep end, so this bad ass lady right here needs new gainful employment.

"Name?" the bored recruiting officer, balding man of slight build in his late fifties asked.

"Seriously?!" Shego asked. "Green skin, flaming plasma and it doesn't ring a bell."

"We need a name young lady before we can even start the recruitment process."

The now very angry woman lifted the, in her opinion pathetic little man by his shirt collar.

"You are currently in the presence of the world's second greatest thief, the only person currently in the business who can actually fight Kim Possible and win and to top it all off I have actual super powers," but he still stared at her blankly. "It's Shego."

"No young lady I need your real name."

"That is my real name."

"Now young lady," he replied. "Its nice you already have a stage name, that will help you get lucrative long term head hench person contracts but we need your name to do background checks, to many undercover law officers, reporters and whatnot in the past few years."

"You got a computer here?"

"Yes but I don't see how that's relevant to the recruitment process."

"I'll give you your damn background check," Shego hissed.

Shego quickly opened the browser software and searched for herself focusing on a time period of about eight months after she left her brothers and turned her back on the hero life. Shego gestured to the search results.

"That good enough for you."

"Yes actually," the odious, in Shego's opinion, little man said. "And I regret to inform you that we will not be able to hire you at this time."

"What?"

"One of your know associates, one Penny Gadget," he explained. "The company's new management wouldn't stand for it.

Kim frowned as she surveyed the area. She hadn't been able to see Shego for several minutes. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Ron, Rufus, the plan has gone to hell," she said to her team mates. "Set off the distractions, we have to hope that Penny can salvage something from this."

"Uh Kim," Ron said. "I don't think those distractions are going to be very distracting."  
Kim looked at what Ron was seen. The recruitment building was been consumed in green flame, thankfully she could see that the person Shego had presumably been talking to had been thrown clear.

"New plan Ron," Kim said pulling a map up on her kimmunicator. "You and Rufus use the distractions to funnel the fleeing mercs to these points just outside the no go zone."

"What about you?" he asked.

"I have to go talk Shego down," Kim explained. "Penny is still down there in disguise, can you imagine what would happen to Shego if she were to hurt her adoptive aunt."

"Gotcha Kim," Ron said as he left.

Meanwhile Penny was making the most of the opportunity Shego had afforded her intentionally or otherwise. She used her wristwatch to photograph every scrap of documentation, log book and map she could find while everyone else was fleeing the green hell fire. She finished just as the wall behind her started to melt away in green fire.

"Oh wowsers," Penny said as she wisely fled to the camp's perimeter as she shed the armour of her disguise. "Something really ticked her off this time."

Kim tried to keep calm as every thing around her continued to catch fire. She slowly walked to the centre of it all and called out to its cause.

"Shego! Shego!" Kim cried above the roar of more buildings catching alight. "What's wrong?"

"Plans gone Kim," Shego said and then louder. "May as well deny Drakken's secretary some assets."

"That doesn't matter," Kim said. "I asked what was wrong?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"That guy you threw out the window," Kim said. "That's totally you, in fact it was going to be one of the signs that things were progressing, but this..."

Kim indicated how most of the place was now burning.

"You control yourself more than that," Kim said. "So I'm going to ask you again What's wrong?"

Shego looked around and the plasma energy flowing off her began to dissipate and disperse.

"Nothing, Everything."

"Talk to me."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Would Iris think its a good idea?"

"That's not fair Kimmie."

"So?"

"So apparently I'm a failure as a villain to," Shego said with a sigh. "First I can't even intimidate the middle management into let me have my way and then I forgot that Aunt Penny defended me when I left team go. Should have thought ahead, should had realised the bot would make her enemy number one, that's what it did when...when Iris..."

"Have you given up yet?"

"What no, of course not."

"Then you are not a failure," Kim explained. "Now this is another important question Shego, are you okay?"

"Maybe one day I will be," Shego said with a smirk that was more her regular style. "Sorry I screwed up the plan I guess."

"No I think we were too far behind," Kim said with a shake of her head. "Lets regroup at rendezvous point d. Hopefully Ron will have a bunch of mercenaries that GJ can interrogate or Penny has managed to salvage some intel before it went up in smoke."

"Sorry Kim," was Shego's sheepish reply.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Kim and Shego did indeed find Penny and Ron at the rendezvous point along with several GJ agents and about three dozen captured hench co and affiliated mercenaries. Surprisingly Betty Director was also waiting for them.

"Sorry Dr. Director," Kim started to explain. "I had to act and..."

The woman held up her hand to halt whatever Kim was saying.

"Were you spotted on surveillance? Did anyone actually see you in in the zone?"

"No."

"Then you were never there."

"You're surprisingly calm about all this."

"I know what Doctor Claw is capable of," Dr. Director said. "Besides you just won me a week worth of lunches from Will Du."

"I'm guessing your our ride back state side?" Kim half asked.

"This new sub-orbital troop transport will get us back in an hour," The one-eyed woman said. "Just enough time to get you and your team up to speed about what's been happening on our end."

* * *

Ron watched the curve of the earth as everyone else talked and went over what Penny had recovered. Sure he had been in space before but the monkeys had kind of spoiled it. He was glad he could just appreciate the view for a few minutes and remind himself why he and Kim went on these villain stopping missions as well as the rescues they both preferred. It was to keep all that down there safe so there continued to be people to save from natural disasters and accidents. Instead of there being just nothing, or worse nothing but monkeys or... he turned his mind back to whatever everyone else was discussing.

"We've managed to shut down Hench's South American operations entirely, middle east and Asia are at about 34% thanks to a little help from Mr. Load. The bot will have access to all the European facilities but none of the funds unless we missed on of those classic Swiss accounts."

"What about Australia and the pacific?" Kim asked.

"Government moved in during the mid-nineties," Penny said. "And the Pacific and Indian ocean holdings are resorts, legitimate ones but probably used for money laundering."

"African?" The Red head asked.

"All bought by a mysterious company that gave the land back the various governments as long as they were used as nature reserves," Betty Director said.

"Then I dissolved the company," Penny said with a smile. "Atsuko was little mad at me but...wait I think I have something."

Penny pressed a few buttons and the image on her computer book was sent to all present display screens. The kimmunicator and the few on board ones used for on route briefings.

"Is that short hand?" Doctor Director groaned.

"Yes for some brand new MAD propaganda by the looks of it," Penny said. "Sending what it actually says to the screens."

"So what its just standard villain recruitment," Shego said.

"Look closer."

"The punctuation," Kim said. "Its in the wrong place."

"So its telling people were to go get recruited," Shego grunted. "Not really a clue."

"Was Doctor Claw a hands on type?" Kim asked Penny.

"Occasionally," Penny said. "Didn't usually stoop to interview new hires as far as I know and why hire some one when you could just kidnap them and steal their equipmen... We need to figure out were this message is sending people."

"A call to arms riot scenario?" Betty asked. "To keep us busy while Doctor Claw is elsewhere."

"Perhaps."

"Oh hell I'm not dealing with a riot scenario with this other shit going on," Shego said. "Avarius made me miss Halloween last one he pulled. As soon as we land get me a camera and broadcasting equipment."

"You have a plan?' Kim asked.

"You aren't going to like it cupcake."


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"Shego was right I don't like it," Kim said as she observed the GJ technicians set up the equipment in the hanger of an old military base that had been official decommissioned. Unofficially it was a GJ training facility in the middle of nowhere.

"But as a plan it will work won't it?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Kim admitted. "But the risk, I can't believe Penny agreed to do this."

"It'll be okay," Ron said. "Atsuko's talking to her through her watch screen so she won't freak out."

"Its not just that," Kim insisted. "What will this do to Shego's reputation?"

"Ah restore it to being the biggest baddest bad ass on the planet."

"Ron she's revered as a Robin Hood figure in some parts of the world," Kim explained. "If she does this she might be hounded where she previously wasn't. Also what if she does give up the villain life at some point, she technically hasn't done anything this bad before."

"She's not actually doing it now," Ron said. "I mean this is all just a set up to get the Claw Bot to come to us."

"But the world won't know that," Kim complained. "It'll be as bad as the media coverage was when she lost Iris."

Ron had to concede the point having seen the same archival news footage Kim had been watching while on the Kimmunicator while they waited for GJ to finish the preparations.

"Leave it to me Kim," he said. "I'll figure something out."

* * *

"It's a terrible plan," Atsuko said from the screen on Penny's watch.

"I know," Penny said. "But it has the best chance of success."

"I just...I just don't like seeing you in dangerous situations," Atsuko sighed.

"At least not one you didn't put me in."

"Don't joke please," was the strained reply. "Okay lets go over the four ways you can escape the….

"Five," Penny said. "I can escape five ways, I'm wearing the trench coat.

"Oh that and nothing else next date night we are in the same country."

"Knew that would get your mind off your worries."

* * *

Shego stared intently at the naked mole rat who was standing on the camera in front of her.

"So you know your part of the plan?" she asked him.

Rufus nodded.

"Good," she said. "I know you won't let me down. Don't tell anybody I said this but I actually do respect you maybe not as much as I do Kim but a little bit more than Ron. And I think if things were different you'd be cool pet and friend."

* * *

"Right we're all set," came the call from Agent Otto Focasi from GJs emergency broadcast and training film division. "Once we get the Professor tied up we'll be good to go."

"Sorry about this Aunt Penny," Shego said as she secured her mentor.

"It's okay Kermie girl," she said. "I promise I won't freak out too much."

"Okay, you with us Aunt Atsuko."

"I am already whispering sweet every things to my beloved."

"I don't hear it."

"Back of the watch can pulse out Morse code," Penny tersely replied. "Don't ask."

"Okay it's show time then," Shego said. "Everyone else clear out."

Within the minute the GJ personnel were either camouflaged in the forest around the base or hiding under advance cloaking mesh.

Shego took her place in front of the camera with Penny and when the red recording light started to flash she began her speech.

"This is a Message for the arch super villain Dr. Claw I have done what you have always failed to do. I have captured the only relative of your enemy Inspector Gadget, Penny. I was wondering if you would like to do the honours of killing her yourself. If you don't show up with a job offer in the next twenty minutes I might just release her or maybe just kill her myself. See you soon Doctor Claw." Shego reached out to turn off the camera, better to maintain the falsehood that she was alone.


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

About three minutes before the end of the dead line a silver dot was spotted in the air. Quickly lookouts confirmed it was the Clawbot. It seemed it had upgraded itself since it had last been sighted. Kim quickly got in contact with Wade.

"Is it a remotely operated drone or a networked platform?" she asked him.

"Getting all the scans collated Kim," he said. "And there. We're in luck its the original most of the modifications are to the outer shell. Jetpack, more weapons, extra back up batteries."

"Anything we should be concerned about?"

"Shego proof armour around the skill tester device and the other components comprising its neural lattice."

"Good thing we're not after that right now."

The robot landed in front of Shego and the trussed up Penny. It looked around suspecting and ambush but perceived no immediate threats. A slight flicker in its optical sensors but all the team go glows had been know to do that, it just meant the sensors had to be re-calibrated.

"So do I have the job?" Shego asked.

"Perhaps," Claw said in an electronic rasp. "The real question is how will you use her to deliver the Gadget I actually want?"

"Not a good idea," Shego said. "How many times did this one escape and call in back up for her uncle?"

"A valid point," it replied. "I'll find Gadget eventually. Kill her then and the job is yours."

"Yeah I don't think so."

"What?"

"I figure I might as well do one of two things," Shego said. "Destroy you and take over or Destroy you and go back to what I was doing, and by that I mean what I was doing before you ruined my life."

"Ummm," the bot said as it processed it. "Shego know associate of Dr. Drakken, other than encountering you when I came online I do not believe we have crossed paths. Not even before my inferior organic originator decided to upload their mind patterns to the skill tester device."

"Surely you researched me before you came," Shego said. "Even if you had to do it the mundane way."

"Ah yes," it said. "I see you have encountered my core component before, ah it worked as intended. Interesting, the question is can I make copies of myself with out fighting breaking out between us. Perhaps I should at least copy myself to a body without this ones limitations."

"Not happening," Shego said. She had moved closer while she and her bot were conversing. She punched right through a weak point in its outer shell. Rufus scurried out from the undergrowth unseen by the now enraged machine.

Its focus was all upon Shego.

"For that you die and then I will take care of Gadgets Niece," it said.

"To late she's already out of here," Shego said as the metal cuffs clanged to the ground.

"Go go gadget trench coat," Penny said. The coat inflated and the rope binding her burst from the pressure.

"There will never be a next time Doctor Claw," she yelled as she floated away.

"No there won't," it replied. A missile folded out of it's shoulder and began tracking the blonde woman.

"Yeah no," Shego said as she flared her plasma and grabbed it before it fired. It exploded. The bot turned its attention fully towards Shego. The Shego punched through a week spot just under the constructs under arm. While the outer armour punctured under the assault her progress was halted by the new amour shielding the skill tester device in its core. The clawbot grabbed Shego and flung her away.

"Go for the eyes Princess!" She yelled as she flew through the air.

Kim broke from her cover and sprinted towards their foe. It turned towards her ready to unleash one of its weapons upon her. Kim leapt, executed some flips and twists right out of the Middleton high cheer squad's routine list, and landed on its back. She retrieved her laser lipstick from her equipment pouch, holding on to the robot for dear life she managed to find the right setting. She held it up to the machine's eyes and turned it on. It made short work of the mechanisms inside that everyone had been worried about. Kim quickly moved the laser lipstick so that it burnt out the other as well. Her task completed she flipped of its back and hand sprung back into cover. Shego approached again having noticed the most important part of the plan enter one of the holes she had made in the machines outer casing.

"I have other sensors you know," the bot said as it blocked Shego's strike.

"Ah but you can't over write anyone's mind without first getting repaired," Shego said as she blocked a strike from the bot.

"It's only a matter of time before you fail," the bot said. "Just like you did before."

"Iris died free from you," Shego said through gritted teeth as she grappled the claw bot. "Yeah I screwed up, but I've learnt from my mistakes. This time I've got a lot more help and I got it a lot sooner."

"The so called team possible will be easily dealt with," It said. "Two teenagers and a agoraphobic child easily dealt with, perhaps I can even recruit them with the right motivations."

"Aunt Penny is right you do over look things."

"Are you referring to the hundred global justice agents surrounding us right now?"

"Well Betts if it knows you're here you might as while pile on!" Shego yelled.

"Very well," Dr. Director said. "All agents subdue the Clawbot and place it under arrest."

"We better help out Ron," Kim said to her partner.

"Do we have to?" he asked only half seriously.

The agents with greater physical ability rushed at the robot while those without took aim with emp blasters. The clawbot easily flung aside the agents attacking at melee range. Shego redoubled her own efforts and managed to lock the machines arms in a hold. Just in time for Kim to appear with her hair dryer grappling gun.

"So princess how do we play this?" Shego asked as the Clawbot managed to kick another two global justice agents away.

"We need to buy a little more time," Kim said. "That wall?"

Shego looked where Kim suggested.

"No," Shego said. "The tree the buffoon, sorry, Ron is standing in."

"Okay hold on," Kim said.

She shot her grappling gun at the tree and grabbed onto the robot. As soon as the grapple' hook looped around and snagged on something Kim hit retract. Rapidly the bot, Kim and Shego were sent hurtling towards the tree. Both Shego and Kim managed to manoeuvre so they were both on top of the mechanical construct.

"Let's do some more damage here Cupcake."

Both women kicked the robot into the ground. It began tearing into the dirt as it still hurtled towards the tree. Shego and Kim were now surfing atop the robot, Kim's hand held tight to her grapple gun and Shego held tight to Kim's waist. As if reading each other's mind both women leapt just before the robot crashed into the tree.

Ron tumbled out of his perch and landed right on top of the clawbot.

"So why did we inflict Ron on the super villain?" Kim asked Shego as they recovered their footing.

"Just wait," Shego said. "And trust in your partners."

Ron panicked as he got up, but his pants got caught on one of the robot's limbs, which panicked him further. He tried to run away but he dragged the machine behind him. Thankfully for once his pants did not get pulled down. In his fearful state he managed to run past several global justice agents, each one getting the perfect hit with their emp rays on their robotic foe as it passed sending its systems into a constant cycle of rebooting.

"Damn I was hoping for some monkey kung fu!" Shego cursed disappointed.

"But this will do?" Kim asked.

"Yeah it will," Shego replied as they chased after Ron.

Strangely Ron had ran back to where Shego's initial confrontation with the Claw bot had occurred. He finally managed to get himself free and fled into one of Global justice's fall back positions.

"Yes, Yes, most amusing," The Clawbot said when it finally re-initialised. "But your emp weapons are an annoyance at most and while I am damaged from Kim and Shego it is for the most part cosmetic."

"Prove it," Shego said with a smirk. "I'll give you a free hit."

"Such arrogance."

"You're one to talk."

With the that the Claw bot pulled back it's fist preparing to strike and its arm merely fell to the ground with a loud clang.

"What?!" it asked with an electronic rasp. Then it's other arm fell away from its body.

Penny and Ron reappeared from their hiding spots and joined Kim and Shego in front of the bot. The global justice agents circled around so that the Clawbot couldn't run. It tried to activate the jet pack by which it arrived but it sputtered out with a cough. Then both legs fell away from the robot's body and its torso fell to the ground with a thunk. It then fell backwards and hit the ground with a thud. Penny loomed over it.

"You always overlooked myself and my dog," she explained. "You always failed to realise my uncle was more distraction than anything and now you've made the same mistake again."

"You failed to take into account a valued member of team possible," Shego continued.

"My pal Rufus," Ron said.

"He's always been a very important member of the team," Kim added.

With that Rufus popped out of one of the holes Shego had made on the Clawbot.

He chittered a bit and ran to Ron and into his favourite pocket on the boy's pants.

"Of course we'll get you some extra cheese Nacos," Penny replied to the chitter. "You deserve it."

"So what now?" Kim asked.

"We figure out how to deal with this so the future doesn't have to worry about it," Shego said.

Betty Director barked orders at her subordinates.

"Get every part in those Faraday cages, separate Faraday cages. Organise transport for the cargo and our consultants, film crew prepare a package for the various news services…."


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"You are free to leave now if you want Shego," Doctor Director said across the meeting table in the Metro City Global Justice facility.

"No way Betts," she replied. "I'm seeing this through to the end. So is my original plan to dump it in the Atlantic viable?"

"No," answered Wade who was actually attending the meeting in person. "There has been an increase in submersible activity in all sectors, industrial, scientific, even WEE has more underwater lairs."

"Your brother is an idiot Betts."

"No argument there, in any case too much of a possibility it would return to the surface," Doctor Director then turned to Penny who had Atsuko linked in through the computer book. "A software or hardware solution?"

"I'm sorry Doctor Director," Atsuko said from the screen. "The casing Jack Hench found for it has made it immune to the one earthly thing that was a possibility."

"And that was?" Betty asked.

"Full immersion in Lava," Atsuko explained. "Even before it only had a fifty-five percent chance of working. The only other possibilities are purely theoretical and make too many unconfirmed assumptions about where the comet that gave team go their powers came from. Your turn dear."

"So I've been looking at this from two perspectives," Penny said. "Imprisonment or deletion in the end it doesn't matter as the risk in both is too high."

"How so?"

"I would require to many networked resources," Penny explained. "Thus it would have to many opportunities to escape into the internet."

"Which we definitely don't want," Wade said.

"I'm not going to endanger the emergent AIs already there," Penny explained. "Or worse have it body jack a person of synthetic origin."

"I hate to bring this up because it feels too much like mind control," Kim began. "But maybe we can reprogram it to be good."

"Brain uploads are resistant to such procedures," Doctor Director said.

"Some kind of computer virus?" Ron asked.

"I've already reached out to even the more morally dubious contacts I have," Wade said. "I'm afraid I only have one possibility and all it potentially does is regress the intelligence to that of a twelve year old."

"Hmm," Betty said. "Your our expert Professor Gadget is a twelve year old version of Claw a threat?"

"We still don't know anything about Doctor Claw's early life," Penny said. "Its a fifty-fifty chance we get a sweet kid unable to do what claw does or we get master mind already on their way to super villainy."

"In any case," Wade continued. "We run into the same problems of needing to connect the skill tester device to networks we don't want Claw invading."

"And before you ask," Penny looked at the director. "We already looked into using stand alone super computers to achieve the same thing. The simulations say we really don't want to risk Doctor Claw using the system to grow more intelligent."

"Ah yes that," Betty Director sighed. "Sorry Shego and Team possible but the incident the Professor is alluding to is classified, but suffice to say it went badly. Mr. Stoppable I'm afraid to ask but is there a solution involving magic?"

Penny and Wade groaned.

"Don't be like that," Atsuko said from the screen. "Our own daughter attends a school with a long tradition of learning how to correctly punch magical creatures."

"Yeah Aunt Penny," Shego said. "Magic exists deal with it."

"Wish magic could go back to being just teched up stage magicians like it should be."

"Sorry Penny is still just..."

"Don't even mention it Junior Chief."

"An alternative dimension thing before you came to go tower right? Aunt Atsuko told me."

"Atsuko?!"

"Anyway are there Magical solutions to the problem Mr. Stoppable?"

"I couldn't get a clear answer," Ron said. "It all depends on whether this version of Doctor Claw has a soul."

"Of course it has a soul," Kim said. "Not a good one though

"Its practically nothing but a soul," Shego added.

"See that's the second part," Ron explained. "If it is a soul it probably already counts as being bound due to the nature of the skill tester device."

"Then perhaps a spell..."

"The body jacking problem again," Penny said. "Only this time everyone and everything is a potential target."

"So you don't think it would just disappear to where ever freed souls go?" The director asked.

"No wait," Shego said. "I remember when I fist encountered magic I learnt that only happened to naturally freed souls. Spells bind them to this plane of existence don't they?"

"Note to self expand super natural division," The Director said while writing that down. "Okay we need to take a break and for now at least we have it contained I recommend everyone go outside and get some fresh air as this might take awhile."

* * *

A short time later, after leaving Ron and Rufus at the local beuno nacho store, Kim and Shego found themselves walking through a Metro City park.

"Hate these things," Shego said as she scratched the back of neck. "They always itch."

"Better than the press hounding you," Kim said.

"God how can they not see through this though," Shego said. "I mean I look exactly the same except I have a natural skin tone and I'm wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and why aren't the press hounding you?"

"Hologram where the media thought I was going to be today."

"So thanks for coming with me when I asked," Shego said. "I really don't think I should be alone right now."

"Its okay I really didn't want to watch Ron and Rufus stuff themselves no matter how well deserved."

"I hate to admit it but as a teenager I was like that," Shego said. "Iris used to scold me a lot for talking with my mouthful."

"Hard to imagine you doing that I mean I, and a lot of other people kinda perceive you as this kind of super glamorous self assured woman."

"On my good days yes," Shego said. "But on the bad its bad enough I kinda wish for those meh days where I'm just watching Dr. D try and fail to come up with a new scheme."

"You going to leave him in Prison for a bit longer this time?"

"Depends on how GJ's information on Brotherson's assets hold up," she said. "I'm glad he wasn't hurt though, I mean he's a better brother to me than Hego."

"I'm surprised, the couple of times I've been in the vent for the evil family speech you don't seem to care much for it."

"Oh I detest the speech," Shego said. "But everything else is good."

"Shego I have to ask do you see yourself as evil?"

"Kim I'm responsible for the death of my best friend of course I'm evil."

"No I think Yori's view on things is more accurate," Kim said as they continued to walk. "Maybe resolving this is the first step on the path towards something less extreme."

"But I thought it was resolved, I though Hego really was going...to..."

"Don't really believe that do you?"

"No," Shego said. "I wish I did but I just can't, sometimes I wonder if Iris was the only thing holding my life together. I wish I had told her that while she was still alive, anlso some other things."

"What do you think she would have told you if you had?"

"That I was stronger than I knew," Shego sighed. "That I should just talk to Hego and help him understand what I needed. That I had more support than just her. I had Aunts Penny and Atsuko and their kids, my younger brothers, Betts and the other global justice agents I actually tolerated. I would have whined of course because she was the only one who considered my life as a whole."

"And I bet she would have said that Aunt Penny did consider the balance you need and you could make other people realise the same."

"You are a lot like her you know."

"I wish I could have met her," Kim said.

"You probably would have if she had lived," Shego explained. "Middleton Space Center was her dream job, I have no doubt she would have landed it straight out of college if not sooner."

"Is it weird I'm imagining an alternative universe where that happened and I some how end up discovering you're a super hero and get into this gig that way."

"A little."

"If only we could use Dad's solution for everything," Kim said looking into the sky. "A black hole should take care it it right?"

Shego considered it looking up at the sky the same way Kim was.

"Nah to much of chance alien life might intercept it despite the experimental Flanner drive," Shego said. "And then what if the information on the device writes itself onto the black hole."

"Ah yeah," Kim said. "It probably couldn't get out but it'll have to much time to think and might cause problems for people long after we're gone."

"Although this is a good line of thinking," Shego said. "Let's head back and see what the others can add."


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

It did turn out to be the beginnings of a good plan. While they couldn't send it to a black hole and leaving it to travel space indefinitely wasn't an option due to classified information that only Dr. Director was aware of in the group, it turned out they did have some more local options. Jupiter or Saturn were options to crush the device in their immense gravity. Jupiter had the slight advantage as the right trajectory might have it's magnetic field corrupting the data on the device. No analysts was optimistic enough to say all the data would be erased. Venus had been another possibility with it's dense corrosive atmosphere, although if lava wouldn't do it it was doubtful that Venus's acid rain would. It was however decided that data from the casing would be given to the Space Center as payment, perhaps they could make better space probes.

Ultimately it was decided to just dump the skill tester device into the Sun. Kim was quite surprised that Global Justice had a form for doing such a thing. She and Shego ended up cosigning as the civilian oversight needed for such matters. They had then been handed a second form authourising the destruction a sentient non human. While Shego had signed straight away, Kim hesitated.

"I wish there was a better way," Kim said.

"There isn't," Shego told her. "One day you or some one like you will find it I'm sure, but this is the best we can do right now."

"I know you're right," Kim said. "It's just..."

"I'll stay while you fill out the comments section," Shego said. "It helps to write it down and know there is a record of it."

"Iris stayed when you had to do this back in your hero days."

"Yeah, like I said writing it down helps."

So the forms were filled and filed and the Faraday cages imprisoning the clawbot were shipped to the Middleton space centre. They were loaded onto a rocket that once boosted free of the atmosphere on conventional liquid fuel engines, would activate it's experimental Flanner engines. Using the new propulsion device it would rocket towards the sun in a mere hour instead of the weeks or months it had previously been. Then instead of doing anything to insert into orbit it would let the suns own gravity take hold. All going well it would plunge into the nuclear fire of earth's star and be destroyed so only the component atoms remained.

Shego had counted down with the others, she could almost feel Iris beside her doing the same, just like when they watched Captain Constellation as kids. She had watch fascinated as Justine Flanner, one of Kim's classmates, had lead the elder scientists through the activation of her experimental engine. She smirked as some of the scientists looked back at her in fear. She waited impatiently as the drive seemed to shimmer around the rocket a sent it hurtling through space at a speed that a man made object had not achieved before. Soon everyone observing in the space center's mission control was dealing with the agonising communication delay. Then confirmation came that the capsule containing the skill tester and other components were falling into the sun. Shego started tapping her foot anxiously. Kim who was sitting next to her took her hand and offered a supportive smile, Shego couldn't help but return it.

"We have confirmation from Helios 1," some one called. "The vehicle is breaking up."

"Helios 2 has it as well."

In the end it was so anti-climatic. There wasn't even any cheers until Ron revealed that he had made celebratory cupcakes. Shego quietly slipped away thinking said cupcakes would be enough of a distraction. Little did she notice her leaving was noticed by two, Penny Gadget who had actually taught Shego how to slip away like that and Kim Possible, the girl Shego often called cupcake.

Neither followed but instead turned their attention back to the celebration.

"Hey Kim, Professor I saved the fancy ones for us," he said. "I even decorated some for Shego."

He removed the lid covering the fancy tray that apparently reserved these cupcakes for them and revealed that one portion was missing and replaced with a note.

"Thanks for the help cupcake," Kim said reading the notes allowed. "And thanks for the actual cupcakes buffoon, I ate them yesterday."

"What?" Ron shouted.

"It goes on," Kim said. "Make sure you keep being there for each other so you don't end up like me, oh and instead of the favour you usually ask I won't spring Doctor D. out until after your next exams, so that's what two and a half months. Hugs and kisses, Shego.."

"Hugs and Kisses?" Ron asked.

"Wowsers I haven't seen her sign off like that for quite some time," Penny said. "It means she's in a good mood."

"P.S." Kim continued. "Tell Aunt Penny I will attend her birthday dinner this year as long as Aunt Atsuko and Sophie keep her out of the kitchen."

"Sophie is my and Atsuko's younger daughter," she explained. "She either wants to be a chef or an animator, going to school in France as she does I was thinking she'll choose chef."

"I don't know doesn't France have a decent animation industry right now?" Ron asked.

"Anyway Shego is gone," Kim said. "I was hoping, I don't know, maybe we could talk more or something. And I haven't thanked her for her help yet."

"At least we get a break from Doctor D. for awhile," Ron said. "And Shego solo is more self serving and less world ending."

"Still I feel like I could do..."

"More for her," Penny said. "Both Shego and Iris said that to me about each other at various points. I know I do believe I owe you a favour. Come over here."

"But you helped us out."

"No it was my mess to begin with so I owe you now get over here."

Kim did as she was asked and Penny whispered something important in her ear. Kim's face lit up with a brilliant smile.

"Thanks," Kim said.

"Of course you run into any old tech Wade can e-mail me any time," Penny said. "Anyway it's time for me to go its Friday and I have to call Atsuko for date night. It's been a pleasure working with you Kim."

"I feel the same," Kim said. "Thank you once again for your help."

"Yeah Professor," Ron said. "Can you tell Yori it was nice to see her again and I hope we catch up soon?"

"Of course Ron," Penny said as she headed to the door. "Oh but remember lasers, hacking and I so monitor my daughter's online activity so behave yourself."

Ron gulped in a fear that was only broken when Justine Flanner came over and thanked him for the cupcake. She and Kim got to talking about the Flanner drive and its capabilities, still hindered by relativity but a good first step and it would open up the solar system some what. Betty Director soon joined them and Kim started to explain the Professor's absence but was interrupted.

"Friday date night," The director said. "How do you really think I lost this eye?"


	26. Eplilogue

Epilogue

Atsuko's hologram blinked into existence in front of Penny as she sat on her back porch. Much to her surprise it reached over and ran it's fingers on the locket Penny wore and opened it and then closed it again.

"You've done it," Penny gasped. "Is this why we're outside tonight to make the neighbours jealous?"

"You know we have no neighbours over here," Atsuko said taking Penny's hand and looking at her watch. "Ah good I always liked this one better."

"But the other watch was my first present from you after we started dating?"

"I only got you that so you had something appropriate to wear when I could take you to fancy restaurants," Atsuko said. "This old thing is more you, besides it's the one I upgraded when you visited recently."

Her fingers pressed some buttons.

"There now I can hold you to," Atsuko said as she lifted Penny from her seat. They pulled each other closer and began to sway to music unheard.

"I wish you would come home more often," Atsuko said.

"Me too," Penny said. "I've been working on the car so it can be every weekend instead of once a month."

"I feel like lending the moped to Sophie was a mistake I just can't come and see you when I miss you."

"But you always miss me."

"Yes."

"You been keeping up with the work of Justine Flanner?"

"A remarkable young woman," Atsuko said. "I can't believe she is still in high school or rather that she decided to put her degrees on hiatus so she could take the time to do high school on a regular schedule."

"I meet her today," Penny said. "Its a socialisation thing, I actually think she's waiting for some one."

"Boyfriend or Girlfriend?"

"You can ask her that herself," Penny said. "We're meeting with her next week to discuss financing a round trip tug to Mars using her Flanner drive."

"I sense an ulterior motive."

"You get the trench coat," Penny explained. "So its only fair I get you dressed in my favourite costume."

"The goddess emperoress of the red star will not bow to your demands human of the golden mane."

"Ah but I might give into yours this time."

They both laughed.

"That was what you said when you realised it was me for the first time," Atsuko said.

"That was the first time I knew I was going to be okay."

"Speaking of okay what about Shego?" Atsuko asked after their adopted niece.

"I think she might be in time," Penny said. "I might have sent someone to give her a bit more of a nudge in the right direction."

"That's good."

"Shego is also coming to my birthday on the condition you keep me out of the kitchen."

"You were already on dish duty anyway," Atsuko said. "Let us go to our bedrooms and push this system to the limit."

"That is a brilliant idea," Penny said lifting Atsuko off the ground and rushing inside.

* * *

Meanwhile several hours into Penny and Atsuko's date, so many hours it was in fact the next day, a lone figure approached a simple marker amongst the more elaborate graves while clutching a bouquet of flowers. No one was close enough to notice the green tint on the woman's skin nor the tears falling down her face.

"Hi Iris," she said. "I saved the world this week, of course you never want to hear about that. So instead I'll tell you all the important stuff."

"I hung out with my Aunt Penny, finally told her I had my degree. I know you would have been on me about that. Visited Aunt Atsuko and was lucky enough Yori was visiting at the same time. You know she's a ninja now. Horrible taste in men tough. Okay you got me I actually kinda sort of approve of her crush. Saw my brothers, I know you like it when we get along but Hego did something that's going to make it hard to forgive him. The twins are still playing our video games and Mego got himself a job and his own place. I know right, him being responsible I can't believe it. My boss was being a bit irresponsible at work so I secured myself a few months off. But I'm glad he is okay and didn't hurt himself. But the weirdest thing that happened recently involves that girl I told you about. You know my rival at work that reminds me too much of you sometimes. We ended up working together on a thing and it turned out okay."

"That it did," Kim said as she approached. "And that's the reason I'm here."

"I'm guessing Aunt Penny has something to do with this."

"Of course," Kim said.

"So why exactly are you here?"

"Not to arrest you if that's what you're thinking," Kim said. "I'll honour the deal GJ made with you and besides you deserve a vacation more than the rest of us even if it is a working one."

"Which brings me back to my question."

Kim took Shego's hands in her and looked her in the eyes. Shego saw only compassion and understanding in them. If she was honest it was kind of weirding her out.

"Thank you," Kim said softly. "Not just for recently, but for everything you did or at least attempted to do back during your team go days."

"I uh..." Shego said. "You're welcome?"

"Now I know we're square on our whole favour deal but I just want to make a suggestion for you to consider before I head off. You're under no obligation but I think the few months you'll be away will be enough time to think it over."

"And that is?"

"Middleton High is always in need of substitute teachers," Kim explained. "You know the area, what would happen if that new teacher had a greenish complexion?"

"They probably wouldn't bat an eye," Shego admitted. "But there are other problems."

"Not insurmountable," Kim said.

"What if some one wants me to get back in the hero business as a condition?"

"We explain to them why it isn't an option," Kim said. "Or we get them to compromise down to consultancy, mentoring, more like what your Aunt Penny did for you. I can think of one teen hero who would like advice on increasing her skills outside of adventuring."

"What you need is advice on how to say no to some things and not take too much on, no one wants you to burn out," Shego said. "Okay I'll think about it."

"Good," Kim said. "But there is one more thing."

"What?"

"No matter what happens I will always be willing to help you achieve your version of a normal life, no heroics, no villainy. Just you living the best version of your normal life whatever that is."

"Thank you," was the only thing Shego could say.

"Anyway I should get going I actually get to see a movie this week without team possible stuff interrupting."

"Henchco being in disarray always puts villainous plans on hold."

"Good Bye Shego," Kim said as she walked away. "Remember call me or beep me or..."

"I'll just use the website like everyone else," Shego said as Kim exited the cemetery and Shego lost sight of her. She turned back to Iris's grave.

"My version of a normal life huh?"

Shego closed her eyes for a moment. There it was the nice easy commute home from the nearby school, still as professional as she looked when she went to work that morning, the picket fence that was anything but white and there on the porch was the person she shared her life with. The figure had become indistinct since Iris passed on but always maintained a female form. Lately though there was a feature that had begun to establish on the vague fantasy. Red hair. Shego shook her head and broke her daydream.

"What did I tell you too much like you," she said to Iris. "But the other thing? I bet you think I should go for it. For you I'll mull it over but first the resort Islands of the Mediterranean are calling my name."

 **Authors Note: I went back and forth on Yori as Penny and Atsuko's daughter but I decided Ron getting a parent speech couldn't be passed up. Of course the other daughter is a reference to Penny's french dub name, and I think animator is her future, think gadget and the gadgetinis. And finally while writing this story Penny and Atsuko could finally make their marriage 100% official in my part of the world.**


End file.
